- Masquerades go hay wire in Enugu community, beat pregnant woman to coma
- Newly sworn-in LG boss frowns at the incident, orders the arrest and prosecution and imprisonment of the masquerades
- Barr. Ukwueze charges other masquerades to be peaceful or risk being thrown into prison in their subsequent outing
Masquerades in Enugu state particularly in Udenu, Nsukka and now Igbo-Eze South local government areas are said to be facing hard times in the hands of both political and traditional leaders in their respective communities.
Few months after a masquerade was arrested, charged and sent to Enugu prison for allegedly beating a lady at Nsukka metropolis, the same treatment was given to some of them in Igbo-Eze South local government of the state.
Barely two days after taking the mantle of leadership of the council area, the Igbo-Eze South local government chairman, Barr Ugo Ferdinand Ukwueze has frowned at the masquerades’ brutality in the area and informed the security agents in the area, leading to the arrest and subsequent imprisonment of at least five masquerades.
WITHIN NIGERIA reporter gathered that the incident happened at Itchi community, Igbo-Eze South local government area of the state last Wednesday.
According to an eye witness, the suspected masquerades allegedly beat up a pregnant who was passing on the road these masquerades were having their outing.
“This pregnant woman slumped and became unconscious. She was rushed to the nearby hospital and took the efforts of some medical practitioners before she could regain her consciousness,” the source revealed.
“When the new Executive Chairman of Igbo Eze south Barr Ugo Ferdinand Ukwueze heard it he gave a marching order immediately that those masquerade should be arrested.
“It took the combine efforts of police and Forest guards to get them arrested and detain them at Ibagwa-Aka police station.
“He warned them that his government will not tolerate banditry, criminality and terrorism all in the name of culture.”
According to the new local government boss while addressing the masquerades and their adherents at Ibagwa-Aka police station, “this morning they will all be moved to state CID Enugu to serve as a deterrent and serious warning to others who will be hiding under masquerade to commit crimes and all sorts of evil vices.”
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that true to his statement, the following day, all the masquerades and their adherents who were accused of brutality were moved to state CID Enugu for prosecution.
However, when our reporter visited the traditional ruler of Itchi community, HRH Igwe Lazarus Ugwuoke in his palace to comment on the matter, he was said to have gone to University of Nigeria, Nsukka for his Doctoral lectures.
However, all efforts to get him on phone proved abortive as his phone number was not going through.