By Okechukwu Nwanguma
This morning, RULAAC received an SOS from a member of the Okoye family of Iffite Isu village in Isuaniocha community Anambra State requesting that the attention of His Excellency the governor of Anambra State be urgently drawn to the renewed activities of some armed criminal elements allegedly operating under the sponsorship and direction of Mr. Tony Onyeagolu at the community.
RULAAC was informed that the assailants, with operational base at a location known as ‘White House’ in the community, are currently causing mayhem, attacking and terrorising members of the Okoye family at Iffite Isu village to disrupt their preparations for the burial of their late mother and daughter who are to be buried this Thursday April 24, 2025.
RULAAC had forwarded this information to Anambra State authorities seeking prompt action and the deployment of appropriate security agencies in the state to intervene to ensure order and allow a bereaved family to bury their dead in peace.
RULAAC, for the umpteenth time, also called for a thorough and impartial investigation to bring the lingering crisis in Isuaniocha to an end.
Is This Lingering Crisis Intractable?
The Isuaniocha community crisis has been raging and constantly in the news since 2018, climaxing in the reported kidnapping and murder of the community youth leader, Angus Okoye, which led to the escalation of tension, eliciting a loud cry for justice.
The Rule of Law and accountability Advocacy Centre, a human rights organisation promoting the rule of law has followed this case and the unrelenting campaign for justice which led to the eventual arrest of the alleged chief culprit, one Anthony Onyeagolu accused of masterminding the gruesome murder of Angus Okoye and the further attempted murder of one Chidiebele Okoye.
The latter was lucky to have survived the assassination attempt, but was walking with crutches. Anthony Onyeagolu was arrested on 20/1/22 after 2 years of being shielded from arrest by some compromised police officers.
After he was arrested alongside one of the members of his terror squad, one Moses Emebo, his collaborators in the Admin section of FCID, Abuja led by Officer Matthew Abu Michael embarked on a desperate move to twist the case promoting false narratives aimed at exculpating them of the murder/attempted murder charges brought against them by the Homicide section of FCID, Abuja which investigated the two cases.
They devised schemes to truncate their trials and pervert justice, including through his secret release from police custody a day before his arraignment at an Awka High Court for murder alongside other accused persons. He was later rearrested when the alarm was raised about his secret release from custody.
Several petitions have been written to counter their false narratives and call for justice.
Trumped-up charges have been levied against the family members of the murder victim and other notable personalities in the community who are fighting side by side with them for justice.
In one instance, a dubious court order was obtained from far away Nasarawa State declaring several innocent members of the community ‘wanted’ by the police with the motive to silence them.
Leaders of the community have recently brought to the attention of the Governor the renewed activities of Anthony Onyeagolu and his armed gang at a time that the hardworking administration had taken well thought out measures to restore security in Anambra and when the community members were celebrating that peace had finally returned in Isuaniocha community.
When the Anambra State government launched the Agunechemba security outfit in the State to curb rising crimes and criminalities in the State, a measure welcomed by all peace loving citizens, the government had mandated all the Presidents-General to be in charge of their community’s Agunechemba units and to be sending security reports to the Agunechemba office on a monthly basis.
In compliance with this directive, the PG of Isuaniocha, Mr. Paul Okoye kept faith by submitting monthly security reports indicating the existence of a certain notorious crime spot know as ‘White House’ used by a criminal gang controlled and used by Anthony Onyeagolu to terrorise their community in defiance of the elected PG and the traditional ruler recognized by the state government.
The armed gang has been terrorising and killing people daily, with many of those shot lying critically at various hospitals with gunshot injuries as of this date.
Community leaders said while the monthly security reports provided by the PG were ignored without any investigation or actions taken by the appropriate quarters, they were surprised that an invitation was sent to their community youth chairman who had been facing the risks leading the battle against criminals and fighting for justice for his murdered Deputy, the late Angus Okoye.
The youth chairman happily honoured the invitation and appeared before the
SA to the governor on security matters under the office of the Homeland commissioner, with the high hope that the Isuaniocha security issue would finally be addressed. He felt this was God’s appointed time to answer the prayers of peace-loving and law-abiding members of the Isuaniocha community. But he ended up being detained to date.
They stated that the governor did instruct that the same invitation be also extended to Anthony Onyeagolu. He was invited but continued to postpone the date given to him to honour the invitation for 3 weeks, while the youth chairman remained under detention in flagrant breach of his fundamental human rights.
Anthony Onyeagolu eventually appeared before Mr. Ken Emeakayi on 3/4/25 accompanied by one Andy Muodili aka Onyinatumba, one of those allegedly backing Anthony Onyeagolu in his serial criminal activities against the helpless community.
We are informed that apart from still facing trials for murder and attempted murder of his kinsmen, Anthony Onyeagolu is also facing trial for the murder of a DSS personnel.
The community leaders said they were ordered by Ken Emeakayi to surrender all the vigilante guns to him. The Isuaniocha vigilante group and the youth body said they were never known to have misused their licensed firearms or shot anybody other than in guarding the community in line with the law.
But they accuse Anthony Onyeagolu’s armed gangs of notoriously killing and injuring innocent citizens. They said the gang was killed as of last December 2024 and January 2025, and that they have all the evidence.
The community laments that the disarming of their vigilante group has left them unprotected, making way for Anthony Onyeagolu’s gang to rampage freely, causing mayhem.
While the Youth Leader remains in detention because he has no person of influence to speak or intervene for him and the poor community he represents, Anthony Onyeagolu is, as of today, 11/4/25, parading the whole community with unknown armed men waiting for his order to shoot.
The community is saddened that the authorities of their PG and their Traditional Ruler and their community’s security have been undermined by the arrest and continued detention of their youth leader and the disarming of their registered vigilante group while a dissident and criminal suspect Anthony Onyeagolu has been empowered with arms bearing gang prowling around the community terrorizing its inhabitants.
The community believes that if Mr. Ken Emeakayi has briefed the Governor aright, their youth chairman who promptly and voluntarily appeared upon invitation would not continue to be detained indefinitely while a crime suspect currently facing murder charges has been moving about freely flaunting his financial muscle and his capacity to corrupt state institutions and continues to hold his community to ransom for many years.
The Community Appeals To His Excellency:
- To ensure an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the invitation and continued detention of the Isuaniocha youth leader.
They call for truth, fairness, equity, and justice, convinced that only truthful and just intervention will save their community from the anarchy inflicted on it by one man.
In a society where might is right, the weak and vulnerable innocent people become victims. The government must ensure equal protection for all to ensure justice, peace, stability, and development.
We call on His Excellency to urgently and decisively intervene and restore peace and order in Isuaniocha!
Okechukwu Nwanguma
Executive Director
RULAAC
