By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Director of Operations in the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS), Dr. Christian Madubuko, has been accused of arresting some officials of the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) and labeling them as “armed illegal revenue collectors”.
The incident reportedly happened in Onitsha, Anambra State where Dr. Madubuko and his boys picked up the vigilante officials, after which he reportedly locked them up in the headquarters of the Department of State Service (DSS) in Awka.
This is coming barely two days after Dr. Madubuko had also been accused of illegally arresting and taking some senior staff of the AIRS, Mr. Francis Ezenwa and Mr. Chika Herbert Ofomata, to the DSS office and labelling them as diverters of government’s revenue. He also reportedly filmed the duo as they were being marshalled into a standby Black Maria at the Revenue House in Awka, and thereafter, reportedly shared the videos on various media platforms, together with the videos and reports of the vigilante officials whom he arrested and labelled as illegal revenue collectors.
Recall that some videos, photos and publications went viral on the media last week showing the AIRS and AVG officials, alongside the various allegations he leveled against them. Madubuko also claimed that tricyclists in the State were rejoicing because of the arrest, as was seen in the videos and viral media publications he allegedly sponsored.
However, in an interview with this reporter, Izunna Okafor, a member of the Anambra State Vigilante Group, Mr. Chukwunonso Imah (popularly known as Ambassador), who disclosed the details of the said arrest of the AVG officials to this reporter, revealed that the individuals who were seen celebrating in the viral videos were actually tricyclists and other commercial drivers who are owing the State Government and those who hate to see security operatives accompany and protect AIRS officials whenever they come for enforcement in the area.
Mr. Imah further explained that the vigilante officials were apprehended while they were inside a park in Onitsha, providing security for the female AIRS officials who were carrying out revenue enforcement and collection duties in the area last week Tuesday. He said it was the AiRS that officially requested for vigilante operatives to accompany their staff to that enforcement; and which was granted to them.
He said “However, as they were providing protection to the AIRS staff, Dr. Madubuko and his team stormed at the scene, arrested and bundled them into vehicle.
“How can you come to a park and say you arrested some touts and the AIRS officials are there working with them, while the people arrested are actually security men who were there to protect the AIRS to carry out their duties effectively without any form of molestation or attack from hoodlums?
“The security men he arrested were inside the park, and not even along the road. They were inside the park protecting the AIRS officials carrying out their duties. He went there to arrest them, beat them up and hand them over to the DSS.”
In an ironic twist, Mr. Imah revealed that Dr. Madubuko ordered the release of the AiRS officials who were being protected by the vigilantes, while the detained vigilante officials remain in custody at the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in Awka till date.
He also expressed his worry over the disgraceful arrest and continued detention of the security personnel whom, he said, were simply carrying out their lawful duties before they were arrested.
“The name of the leader of the AIRS officials who went for that enforcement is Chisom. She even went for interrogations at Madubuko’s office on Friday, and he also released her and allowed her to go. So what is the essence of detaining the security men who were protecting them as they carried out their job?” he submitted.
When asked the efforts the AVG has made so far in identifying and securing the release of the said security operatives arrested, Mr. Imah said that the Admin Officer and the SA to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Security had been calling Dr. Madubuko, but he refused to pick his calls.
“They are calling Madubuko, but Madubuko is not picking their calls… The Admin, the SA to the Governor on Security (being Chike) have been calling Madubuko, but he refused to pick his call. That is the problem. Even when the Boss of those guys came and asked him what what was happening, Madubuko said he should go and meet the DSS and ask them what the men did. Are things done that way?” he questioned.
While recalling how Dr. Madubuko allegedly released some of the illegal touts recently arrested in Oba, Idemili South, without prosecuting them; Mr. Imah also accused him of using DSS to intimidate innocent people at will in the state.
All attempts to reach Dr. Madubuko for his reaction on the matter, proved abortive, as his phone number was not connecting, while he was yet to respond to message sent to him.
Similar result was also gotten in this reporter’s efforts contact the Chairman of the Anambra State Vigilante Group, Mr. Chinenye Ihenko, as he did not respond to his call or get back to this reporter thereafter.
However, when contacted, the Spokesperson of the AVG in Anambra State, Mr. Nweke Nweke said he was yet to receive any official information regarding the said arrest, and promised to get back to this reporter as soon as he gets briefed.
Meanwhile, the situation subsists, even as the motive behind the said arrest and detention of the Anambra Vigilante officials by Dr. Madubuko is yet to be ascertained.
