The Paramount Ruler of Iriebe Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze (Dr.) Jeremiah Worenwu says his life is under threat. He deposited the source of the threat on the doorsteps of one Prince Gift Onwumere.
King Worenwu while speaking to newsmen on Friday in his palace alleged that the said Onwumere has summoned him to amadiohia Ozuzu and Bidere shrine in Gokana for no just cause and has been receiving series of threat calls and petitions since then.
Giving insights into what actually transpired, he said Prince Onwumere approached his community to clear some section of the community land so as to enable the community apportion land to the people which they agreed but never in monetary terms and there is no document to that effect.
His words: “We agreed for exchange of plots of land because the community was financially handicapped which he agreed, and he went into negotiation with a company that owned a tractor on lease. The essence of giving him the plots of land was to take care of the payment which ordinarily we would have spent”.
Explaining further: “While the work was going on our neighbouring Rumuokwurusi Community came and stopped the work on the land we were clearing and up till now the land is in dispute.
For the area he had already cleared before the disruption the community gave him 20 plots of land since he had spent money on the tractor.
We also gave him another 3 plots of land to take care of the one million naira he spent on police who were on site protecting the tractor.
Apart from that there was no other business I personally had with him. Since then Onwumere and his allies have sworn to destroy my image.
Eze Worenwu noted with regret that rather than take the plots of land given to him by the community to sell and make his money to settle whosoever he is owing, Prince Onwumere decided to take the unholy path of taking him to juju shrines, writing frivolous petitions against him and calling for his dethronement.
The Paramount ruler dismissed the allegation against him by Prince Onwumere that he defrauded him of some millions of naira as baseless, unfounded and mischievous.
Eze Worenwu said the Onwumere and his cohorts are out not only to drag his good image to mud but also kill him otherwise he has the plots of land given to him to dispose of and raise the money he needs to offset his debts.
The monarch said Onwumere once reported him to King Ateke Tom on the same matter and the king in his wisdom asked him to go and take the land as it was the agreement they had from the onset.
He said he was shocked that some persons who were ordinarily presumed responsible could be shamelessly conscripted into the show of shame.
Eze Worenwu called on the State governor, Nyesom Wike, security agencies and well meaning citizens in the state to use their good offices to prevail on Mr. Onwumere to leave him alone and stop threatening his life.
