Anambra Octogenarian Cries Out As Hoodlums Render Her Homeless After Attacking His Son

By Joseph Ude

Mrs Angelina Ezeme, an octogenarian from Nanka in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has recounted, with dismay, how hoodlums rendered her homeless in search of her son.

According to Mrs. Ezeme, the hoodlums, purported to be religious fanatics, wreaked the havoc in keeping of their threat that they would burn down her home if she refused to produce her son, a pastor, who was even said to have been declared missing from police custody where he was kept after the hoodlums earlier attacked him.

Recounting her ordeal to newsmen, Mrs Angelina Ezeme said some people whose language she could not understand with some speaking a smattering of English demanded that she produces her son Ezeme Enoch Ifeanyichukwu or have her house burnt.

Speaking further, she narrated that her son had issues in Benue State when they spoke last and was just told by her village relatives that he has disappeared from custody but before she could complete the tale, she was slightly beaten up and set her home on fire.

She said her son had informed her of his trip to Benue State and that he would visit Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Guma or Daudu Camps if possible on 17th or 18th March 2023 for pastoral care, counseling, evangelism and other humanitarian assistance.

She narrated how the news of the disappearance of her son devastated her, coupled with the harassment and burning of her house.

According to her sometime last year, 2023 due to a religious incident that occurred early that year. His son got entangled with religious fanatics who attacked him on mistaken identity and injured him. He had a very serious spinal cord injury, hence she was worried of his safety.

She narrated the story that led to the build up of her son's disappearance.

Her words: “My son was a popular Christian Evangelist/Business Man dealing on food items. He is resident in Lagos state, but shuttles North, precisely Benue State for business and evangelism.

“Early 2023, he travelled to Benue, and on getting there, he allegedly preached to some customers as he usually does before engaging into the business; and some Islamic religious fanatics came and attacked him and in the process they mistakenly shot one of their members allegedly and claimed he was the one that killed him.

“They wanted to kill my son, but luckily the Police came to the scene and picked him up, got all his details and kept him under detention. The fanatics succeeded in indicting him allegedly before the police who later turned it to a murder case, as I was told.

“I was told he successfully escaped from the police one night and ran back to Lagos for his dear life, but unknown to him, and because he gave all his details to police, they released the information to the fanatics and placed him on wanted list. That was unfortunate. Since, my son wasn't in Lagos, they came to Anambra looking for him. I don't even know where my son is. I appeal to anyone who knows the whereabouts of my son, Ezeme Enoch Ifeanyichukwu from Nanka to let me know. Those who are in contact of him should please ensure his safety is guaranteed.

“The fanatics/hoodlums went after him in Lagos, and he finally went into hiding, till date. They haven't given up because after my son disappeared, the suspected bigots masquerading as hoodlums visited, continuously searching for him. We are afraid of their threat to burn down our house, and now the house has been burnt down.”

“I don't know how they traced our family home here in Anambra, and on getting here, they didn't see my son. And they also went to my parent's home thinking my son was hiding there, ambushed the house, but luckily my son wasn't there. Their threats are traumatizing me. It's terrible,” she recounted.