Posted by By Anayo Okoli on
Two families from Ozubulu town of Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State are now at verbal war over the missing, since Sunday May 1, 2005, of Pa Augustine Nwagbo, 67.
AWKA - Two families from Ozubulu town of Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State are now at verbal war over the missing, since Sunday May 1, 2005, of Pa Augustine Nwagbo, 67.
Chief Nwagbo, hale and hearty, on that fateful Sunday morning, set out to go to church to worship God.
Nwogbo, perhaps for faster movement, did not go to church with any of his chauffer-driver cars, but rather chose to ride on an Okada.
After preparing, he was said to have informed his wife, Mrs. Martina Nwagbo, before he left their number 12, Basden Street, Fegge, Onitsha for the morning mass at about 7 a. m. Since then he has not been seen.
His children have searched all the police detentions, all the mortuaries in and around Anambra State, without any trace of him. They have reported to police, and declared him missing in national newspapers, yet no clues. For 4 months now, the 67 year old man is still missing.
However, a twist has developed in the whole story when the family accused their tenant for 18 years, and a kinsman from the same village, of kidnapping their father. The man, who till this day is a tenant of Chief Nwagbo,has vehemently denied the accusation.
On the account of the accusation, the tenant was arrested and detained for over 20 days at Awka, until his lawyer filed a fundamental right suit and he was charged to court by the police for kidnapping.
According to Mr. Emeka Nwagbo, the eldest son of the missing man, the family started suspecting him (tenant) when he allegedly demanded the sum of N2 million from the family to locate their father.
He alleged that the man has confessed that the missing man is in the custody of his alleged unnamed gang, an allegation the accused has since through his lawyer denied.
The son of the tenant said his father, could never have thought of a thing like that moreso considering the brotherly relationship between him and Nwagbo, his landlord for over 18 years.
The Nwagbo's story as narrated by Emeka was that: "On May 1, 2005, my father told his wife (my mother, Mrs. Martina Nwagbo) that he was going to church at about 7 a.m.
He did not come back and since then we have been searching for him till July 13, 2005, when our tenant names (withheld) came to the wife (his mother) and told her that their group (unnamed) was keeping the old man and that he would be released on payment of N2 million and an oath taken that the money must be paid not later two days after the release of the missing man.
Ndokwa West in Delta state to meet one Mr. Temple, he claimed sent him. At Ogume, the man we met, a native doctor, his name was not even Temple denied knowing Ubabunike and Ubabunike said he did not know the man". So no clues yet. But Emeka said that inquiries, perhaps spiritual, point to the fact that their father is alive but detained somewhere he could not free himself.
However, for the Ubabunikes, these stories are false. The Nwagbos should look elsewhere for their father. According to them, their father is innocent of all the accusation. They could not understand how the Nwagbos imagined that their father who have lived peacefully with his landlord (Nwagbo) for over 18 years without any quarrel, could harm Pa Nwaggo. Infact, according to Zubby, their father has always, in the absence of Chief Nwagbo, protected his interest in the unions both of them belong. To him, their relationship is that of brothers, having come from the same village.
""We are loking for justice. My father was arrested, and detained for about 20 days. I was also arrested and detained for about three hours, they said I was a member of the syndicate, that we are seven in number. My father does not know anything about the missing man. Kidnap him for what? This is a man who has been his landlord for 18 years. They live together in the same house till today. Himself and his wife were the Guests of Honour in my brother''s wedding.
""My father did go to them to make any demand. What happened was that my father and mother visited to sympathized with the wife. There were also some church members who visited even another tenant was there, and after a prayer session, the wife narrated to the people present how her husband got missing. She solicitated for assistance in the search. Three days, later, one of the children, Bonny visited us and in the course of discussion my father suggested that the family could go to one popular Native Doctor in Delta state, whose sister is even married in our town. Emeka, the first son even knows the place and he went. We are surprised at this turn of event. This is a case of a man''s good deed putting him into trouble"", Zubby said.