The Acting President-General of Nteje Development Union in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State (NDU) Elder Augustine Modika says he would have been a dead person if he was at home on 20th June this year when daredevil gunmen invaded his house at Achalla-Uno Nteje around 12 midnight.
Elder Augustine Modika who spoke to this journalist in his compound along side his elder brother George Nnamdi Modika Mokwugwo, said an attempt was made on his life by those who do not want peace to reign in Nteje community.
He said three persons were kidnapped on the same night gunmen jumped over the fence of his compound, broke into his house, stole his money and other valuable items worth millions of naira.
According to him, two persons were kidnapped at Ezi-Nteje and one other person at Ifite-Nteje after which the criminals invaded his house the same night to kill him too but God spared his life and that of his elder brother because they weren’t at home on that fateful night.
The acting PG said he was away on an evangelical mission outside the state, when he received a phone call that masked armed men invaded his compound. As a result, he rushed back to behold the sorry sight of his house where the criminals had a feast. All because he insisted that it is the turn of Ifite-Nteje to produce the next traditional ruler of the community.
He said most worrisome is the way and manner in which Nteje Police Division is handling the invasion of his compound by armed hoodlums as he clearly pointed out that the DPO’s apparent reluctance and docility is not helping further investigations instead they told him to take the case to Ogidi Police Division, suspecting that money has exchange hands.
Modika who is from Iruojene Achalla-Uno village in Ikenga-Nteje, told this journalist that contrary to false publications on the online news blogs, no one is parading himself yet as the traditional ruler of Nteje community even though some people are hell-bent on throwing the entire community into chaos and confusion.
According to him, Nteje has three quarters viz, Ezi-Nteje, Ikenga-Nteje and Ifite-Nteje respectively. He stated that Ezi-Nteje has occupied the traditional stool with Nnaemeka (Abogu 1 of Nteje) while Ikenga-Nteje had their turn with Roland Odegbo and now it is the turn of Ifite-Nteje to ascend the throne of their forefathers.
But the bone of contention, according to him, is that some disgruntled elements from Ikenga-Nteje as he aptly described them are insisting that the Kingship of the community should return back to Ikenga even when the last monarch of the community came from there.
Modika maintained that although he is from Ikenga-Nteje but he would not be part of any plots to destabilize the community because it is rightfully the turn of Ifite-Nteje to ascend the throne in accordance with their Igweship rotational principles.
He therefore pointed accusing fingers at the suspended NDU President-General whom he said allegedly connived with someone to obtain an affidavit from the court purporting that they have selected another Igwe from Ikenga quarters, stressing that a certain Charlie Aduaka from Ikenga-Nteje whom they claimed to have been selected for the Igweship of Nteje community through a court affidavit was never in the picture from the onset because he didn’t purchase the Igweship form.
According to him, a former Ag.President-General of the community Chief Udeji Chieze was kidnapped in his house at Umuefi Nteje, tied and blindfolded by his adductors and dumped at Alor after N2.5 million naira was collected as ransom, all because he refused to be part of evil plots to destroy the community.
Modika however disclosed that Ifite-Nteje has done their selection and Chief Chris Nnebo has been selected to be the next Igwe of Nteje and currently in waiting for the state government to issue him certificate of recognition as the new traditional ruler of Nteje even as he stated that the suspended PG is not in agreement with it because he wants Ikenga-Nteje to still retain the traditional stool after 9 years of the last Igwe’s demise and exit from the throne.
He said it’s been three years they took over as the elected executives of Nteje Development Union (NDU) and the suspended PG has not rendered any accounts whatsoever.
Modika alleged that the suspended PG collects IGR, sells stuck-up stalls at Eke-igwe Nteje, indulge in land-racketeering activities, recruited touts with arms as law enforcement agents as well as all manner of financial misappropriations, emphasizing that the worst the suspended PG did was to sack women who swept and always kept Eke-igwe Nteje clean which the acting PG said the embattled PG’s mother did in her own time.
The NDU acting President-General further disclosed that the suspended PG has not done a single tangible project with all the money he collects from left, right and centre not even a palliative work on the erosion devastations at Eke-igwe market Nteje.
He said that the only thing the suspended PG has done in the last three years was to install makeshift speed bumps on a particular road without due consultations with members of the NDU executives and how much was expended on the project, adding that the suspended PG takes unilateral decisions.
He said that the suspended PG has not also disclosed how much was realized during the 2024 Nteje Day Celebration and no account has been rendered till date coupled with illegal sale of family lands as well as the youths he allegedly recruited to unleash terror and mayhem on anyone who dared to probe his nefarious activities and atrocities in Nteje community.
On his part, George Nnamdi Modika Mokwugwo, who is the elder brother to Elder Augustine Modika, maintained that some people are killing the town by their actions and they don’t want Nteje to be peaceful.
He said they know those causing problems in the community but insisted that there must be peace in the area. He therefore emphasized that those behind the kidnappers who invaded their family compound must produce them because nobody owns Nteje community except God.