An unfolding drama is being enacted in the village of Enugwu-Nanka in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State. A local tin god, a failed politician, and a trouble merchant, by name Chief Ubaka Walter Okeke, has stumbled on some wealth, and so wants his immediate neighbours to taste his own version of village terrorism. Chief Ubaka Okeke is your typical egotistic, ill-mannered, grouchy, petulant, and illiterate (even if certificated) local chief, who trips on the obeisance and worship of poor neighbours and villagers. He is usually escorted by a team of battle-ready policemen – public servants maintained by taxpayers’ money, but who use the resources made available to them to terrorise rather than protect hapless villagers.

Chief Ubaka’s latest escapades are mind-boggling. First, he annexed a portion of the land of his neighbour, a retired engineer and an evangelist. The Chief claimed that he had acquired ownership of the strip of land adjoining the community road used by the villagers for nearly a hundred years or more. As far as Chief Ubaka is concerned, this property acquisition, gives him the right to determine how his neighbours wake up or go to sleep. He denied his evangelist-neighbour the right to be connected to the public source of power and chased away the EEDC staff; he claims he also bought the electric poles. No authority has been able to convince him to change his mind. So his neighbour has had to make do with lanterns and generators for more than three years now.

Next, Chief Ubaka Okeke blew up the culvert that leads into his neighbour’s house. Then he built a reinforced concrete dwarf wall across the entrance to his neighbour’s residence. Finally, he put in place his double-decker trailer to fully and effectively prevent the evangelist-engineer from entering his house. (see Pictures) All these actions Chief Ubaka effected with the active support and backing of his police escorts. Thus, since April 2015, Chief Ubaka’s neighbour has not been able to drive into his compound; he has been turned into a refugee in his own village and homeland.
No one has succeeded in stopping this local Chief – not the Police, not the State High Court, not even the village community Town Union. He proudly claims that he can gag any person or institution with his millions. He has further perfected the art of instituting multiple actions and suits on real and imagined causes, to enforce his wicked schemes. The questions that rankle: Why on earth would the Nigerian Police allow itself to be so used? Why are the courts helpless to dispense justice and stop this terrorist? Is this naked god so powerful that no one can call him to order? Is there anyone out there in Naija who is still interested in justice, equity and good conscience?