Is Rep. Chuma Nzeribe a Crook and Killer? PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jonathan Elendu
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Soon after we published our first story on the killing of Barnabas and Amaka Blessing (Abgal) Igwe, we were given the contact number of Chuma Nzeribe, a prominent member of the House of Representative representing Ihiala Federal Constituency, whose name featured in our story. We exchanged text messages with the federal law maker and eventually spoke with him on the phone.

During our chat with Chuma Nzeribe he threatened to sue us and also promised to give us an interview. We assured Chuma Nzeribe that he was within his rights to seek a legal redress for any harm he may have suffered by virtue of our reports. After this conversation with us, Nzeribe stopped taking our calls. Elendureports.com silently continued to investigate the death of the Igwes and we have published a few reports and more are to come. In the course of our investigations we stumbled on more reports and documents concerning the dramatis personae. Part of the document cache in our possession concern Rep. Chuma Nzeribe. These include his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) nomination form and accompanying documents. We are also in possession of resolutions passed by the Anambra State House of Assembly concerning Rep. Nzeribe.

The PDP nomination form for Fed. House of Representatives filled and signed by Nzeribe Chukwumaeze Marcellinus on the 9th of December 2002 declares that the signatory graduated from Christ the King School, Aba in 1971, Holy Ghost Juniorate, Ihiala, in 1974 and Boys High School, Ihiala, in 1976. The document also declares that Chuma Nzeribe graduated from Institute of Commerce, Civitavecchia, Italy, in 1982. According to the form, Nzeribe possesses a First School Leaving Certificate, West African School Certificate, General Certificate of Education, A Level, and Higher National Diploma, HND in accounting. Subsequently, Nzeribe served his National Youth Service Corps with the firm of Olaseni Lawal & Co., Lagos in 1984.

Curiously, Nzeribe did not attach his West African Examinations Council (WAEC) certificate to the documents that accompanied his PDP form. Rather, he attached his A Level certificate which shows that he recorded one subject: Economics. His score for this subject is: E. Our investigations show that the reason Nzeribe did not attach a School Certificate is because he does not have it. According to our investigations, the 1976 WAEC result of Boys High School, Ihiala, was seized. So, how did Chuma Nzeribe gain admission into a school in Italy? There are allegations that he may have used a forged result to gain admission into the school. Elendureports.com has tried to contact the Italian school. Our searches on google and other search engines did not pull up any information on the school. Also, our search of Nzeribe’s WAEC result is yet to bear fruits.

The certificate from the school in Italy is another curious document. According to the document in our possession, Nzeribe was enrolled at the Italian school from 1981 to 1982. In Nzeribe’s House of Representatives PDP nomination form, he swore to an oath before a Commissioner for Oaths at Federal High Court, Abuja that he was enrolled at Institute of Commerce from April 1980 to July 1982. If Chuma Nzeribe obtained admission from the school in Italy with his one paper A Level, was that enough to bypass the Ordinary National Diploma (OND) program and go straight to the Higher National Diploma (HND) program?

Other questions arising from Nzeribe’s PDP nomination papers include: What documents did Chuma Nzeribe present to the National Youth Service Corps to qualify him for service? If he presented the same documents in our possession, did somebody not question the veracity of his HND qualification given that he spent one year at the Italian school? Elendureports.com have been unable to get any response from NYSC even after one week of going to their offices daily.

It would appear, according to documents in our possession, that Chuma Nzeribe has encountered challenges with the law several times and yet curiously escaped its wrath. A document written and signed by E.I. Okafor of Public Prosecutions office in Anambra State had directed that Chuma Nzeribe be arraigned for illegal possession of arms and ammunition. The letter, which was addressed to the Commissioner of Police and dated Nov. 17th, 2003 said: “…in the course of investigation recovered inter alia the undermentioned (sic) items in the house and premises of Chief Chuma Nzeribe at Umudike Village, Uzoakwa Ihiala.” It listed the items recovered as: a) 31 rounds of live 9mm ammunitions, b) 12 rounds of AK 47 live ammunitions, c) 31 live rounds of cartridges.

Okafor’s letter also stated: “The said Chuma Nzeribe was not duly authorized to posses the ammunitions. Sequel to that you are directed to arraign the said Chief Chuma Nzeribe for unlawful possession of the above stated ammunition before Chief Magistrate Court, Ihiala. The charge is punishable under s.3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms (special provision) Act, Cap.358, vol.22, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 as amended by Act No.62 of 1999.” To the best of our knowledge, these charges were never pursued by the police.

Three years earlier, the Anambra State House of Assembly had through Resolution No. 95 directed Gov. Chinwoke Mbadinuju to exclude Chuma Nzeribe and one Fort Dike from his cabinet. That same year, a petition written by one Ifeanyi Ibegbu of the Anambra State House of Assembly accused Chuma Nzeribe of shooting somebody to death. “In that incident, Mr. Nzeribe had led a squad of brigands employed by the Onitsha Traders Association (OTA), invaded the Inland Town Section of the town and murdered these youth (sic). During that operation, Mr. Nzeribe himself was personally responsible for killing one person with a pistol, the license for which is doubtful to say the lest (sic).”

The general feeling of politicians in Anambra State and Abuja is that Chuma Nzeribe has been shielded from the law by politicians and law enforcement agents who may have benefited from his activities. They point to his relationship with the Uba brothers. One politician in Awka wondered how Nzeribe could have escaped the wrath of the law after the abduction of Gov. Chris Ngige. “Everybody knows the role Chuma played in the abduction of Gov. Ngige, yet because of Christian and Andy Uba he was walking the streets freely and throwing his weight about.” There are indications too that Nzeribe may have benefited with a very top female police officer.

Rep. Chuma Nzeribe declined to be interviewed on the phone for this story and would not give us a date for a face to face interview. He did not respond to our text message.