— Says Suspect Is On The Run, Urges Anyone With Information To Report
Concerned Imo Citizens (CIC), led by Chief Godwin Anokwute, has raised the alarm over the whereabouts of Mr. Obi Bennet Chijioke, popularly known as Enyi, an indigene of Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, alleging that he is on the run following complaints of land fraud against him.
In a statement issued by the group, CIC alleged that Chijioke operated a land grabbing and fraudulent land sales network through which unsuspecting members of the public were allegedly defrauded of substantial sums of money in transactions involving lands which, according to the group, either did not exist or were not available for sale as represented to the victims.
The group said several people had allegedly fallen victim to the activities attributed to Chijioke, adding that some of the affected persons had raised complaints over transactions in which they paid money for lands they later discovered they could not take possession of.
CIC further alleged that Chijioke had cultivated an image of being highly connected within government circles, which, according to the group, enabled him to gain the confidence of prospective buyers and convince them that his land transactions enjoyed official backing.
The organisation expressed concern that Chijioke had allegedly disappeared from public view following the complaints, leaving some of the alleged victims unable to locate him or recover their money. It therefore called on anyone who may have information about his whereabouts to exercise extreme caution and avoid attempting to confront or apprehend him personally.
According to CIC, anyone with credible information about Chijioke should instead pass it to the relevant security agencies, particularly where such information could assist in locating him or investigating the allegations against him. The group warned members of the public against taking the law into their own hands.
CIC said it was raising the alarm in the public interest, stressing that alleged land fraud not only causes financial hardship to victims but also undermines confidence in legitimate land transactions and government institutions. The group urged anyone who had transacted with Chijioke and believed they had been defrauded to formally document their complaint and report it to the appropriate authorities for investigation.
