6 Minors Petition Uzodimma, IGP Over Alleged Abduction By Traditional Ruler, Others

Six minors consisting of a visually impaired girl have asked Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State and the inspector-general of police (IGP) to save them from continued harassment and abduction by Chief Kevin Iwule and Eze Edmund Agim, the traditional ruler of Osuama, in the Isiala Mbano local government area, and five others.

They also called for the prosecution of the traditional ruler and others for violation of the Imo State Child Rights Law and the State Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Eze Edmund Agim said he needed clearance from the chairman of the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers, before he could comment on the allegations.

The minors, Daniel Paulinus, Somtochukwu Paulinus, Mmerisinachi Paulinus, Chizaram Paulinus, Nmesoma Paulinus and Chialuka Paulinus raised the alarm in separate petitions addressed to Uzodimma and the IGP over a property owned by Chief Ben Iwule, elder brother to Chief Kevin Iwule, where their father has been the caretaker for 13 years running.

Those petitioned are Chief Kevin Iwule, Eze Edmund Agim who is the traditional ruler of Osuama, in the Isiala Mbano local government area, Chief Louis Onyedieke, Mr Sylvanus Madubuike, Mr Chimezie, Mr Ichie Chukwuma, Mr Okwudiri and their cohorts.

The children lamented that they were evicted and abducted by the men from the house during the absence of their parents and dropped in the middle of nowhere which subjected them to fear, trauma, and intimidation on Friday, 17th April 2026.

President of Peoples Rights Organization and lawyer  to the petitioners, Dr Chris Nwadigo told newsmen  that the forceful eviction, abduction and dumping of the minors by the men was an abuse and amounted to infringement of their rights.

According to him, Chief Kevin is contesting why his elder brother, Chief Ben Iwule who is the owner of the property where the children were evicted and abducted from, prefers using a caretaker.

Nwadigo said the matter was urgent as it touched on the preservation of law, order, and the sanctity of human rights, saying the brazen conduct of the traditional ruler, if left unchecked, poses a grave threat to public peace and confidence in lawful authority.

The petitioners called on the IGP to investigate the matter expeditiously and charge same to court, even as they appealed to Governor Uzodimma to call the monarch to order.

Nwadigo said Chief Ben Iwule, who resides in the United States of America is the first son and the head of family of Dimofor Iwule’s compound, Oboh in Isiala Mbano L.G.A. Imo State, while the father of the under-aged children, Mr. Onyekachi Justin Iheanacho is his caretaker for the past 13 years, taking care of his country home mansion.

But that only recently, the younger brother, Chief Kevin Iwule became desperate, trying to usurp the customary right and authority of his elder brother, Chief Ben Iwule as he vowed to evict the caretaker, Justin Iheanacho who lives at the Isi-obi (family house) for the purpose of humiliating and degrading his said elder brother.

The lawyer said the actions of the suspects clearly constituted criminal conspiracy, threat to life, forceful entry and trespass, threatening violence, Illegal eviction without court order, assault and battery, child abduction and endangerment, and conduct likely to cause breach of peace and appealed to Governor Uzodimma and the Inspector General of Police to save the family from unwarranted harassments.

According to Nwadigo, Chief Kevin in furtherance of his plot, recruited and conspired together with Eze Edmund Agim of Osuama, Louis Onyedieke, Ebuka Madubuike as well as several other militant youths in the community into the unholy assignment fully sponsored and paid for by Kevin Iwule, but maintained that the ring leader remains HRH Eze Edmund Agim who was very desperate to take laws into his hands.

Nwadigo said in the early hours of April 17th, 2026, the men “violently stormed Dimofor Iwule’s compound in a commando-like manner, without any court order, warrant, or lawful authority. Upon arrival and discovering the absence of the next of friend and caretaker and his wife, the invaders unlawfully broke into the caretaker’s apartment, forcefully ejected his children namely: Daniel Paulinus, Somtochukwu Paulinus, Mmerisinachi, Chizaram Paulinus, Nmesoma Paulinus and Chialuka Paulinus and threw them out of the house in a most dehumanizing and degrading manner.

“Subsequently, Eze Edmund Agim returned with armed militants youths and issued unlawful directives compelling the caretaker to open his apartment, but when that caretaker refused, insisting on authorization from the property owner or the presence of law enforcement officers, especially as sensitive documents belonging to his employer and opara of Dimofor family were in his custody.

“In a most shocking display of lawlessness and brigandage, the said traditional ruler ordered the militant youths namely; Mr. Chimezie, Mr. Ichie Chukwuma and Okwudiri and one other (name unknown), who forcefully abducted the caretaker’s aforementioned under-aged children- six (6) minors-who were bundled into a vehicle and transported to an unknown location where they were abandoned. Some of the caretaker’s children at the time of abduction were barefooted and half-clothed, exposing them to grave danger”.

Nwadigo lamented that Eze Edmund Agim “is neither the landlord of the house nor member of Dimofor Iwule’s family but a mere busy body and meddlesome interloper and a paid agent hired to do a dirty job and engage in brigandage and conduct likely to cause breach of peace by trying desperately to please hiş pay master, Kevin Iwule”.

According to him, the caretaker and his family are currently displaced as they were violently driven out, their belongings locked inside the premises, and have since been denied access to their personal effects, necessaries, food items and right to shelter, saying the acts were carried out without the knowledge, consent, or approval of his employer, the landlord, Chief Ben Iwule who remains the lawful owner and authority over the said property.