"My life is under threat", 106 year old man exclaims!

A 106-year-old man, Mr. Samuel Ugwu of Ndiagu Ameachi Awkunanaw community, in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State, has petitioned the state police command over what he described as ”issuance of death threats” to him and members of his family. He appealed to the police and state government to scuttle the alleged moves by some unknown persons to kill him and members of his family. The petition, which was titled “Complaint on Issuance of Death Threats to my Life,” was signed by Samuel and addressed to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Area Command Headquarters of the state command. The centenarian alleged that the unknown hoodlums had prior to the threat to his life, his wife and two sons, kidnapped one of his sons, Chijioke Ugwu, who was released after the family had paid N500, 000 as ransom. In the petition made available to PUNCH METRO through his son, Afam, Samuel stated that a group of armed young men invaded his apartment on Tuesday, August 17, 2010, at about 10.am, and ordered him and his household to leave the house or get killed. According to him, when he demanded to know why the hoodlums asked him to leave his residence, they (armed men) told him that he was ”a slave bought by their forefathers in those days.” The old man, who spoke in Igbo through an interpreter, his son, in a very low voice, said it was at that juncture that he explained to the bandits that he inherited “the place from my forefathers.” He added that rather than listened to him, the hoodlums advised him to ”quickly follow their instruction or I will be kidnapped the way they did to my son in July this year.” Samuel said, ”The sum of N500, 000 was paid as ransom to the kidnappers before he (his son) was freed. “They have now shifted attention to me with serious threats, saying that nothing will happen to them if they destroy me and my family to enable them to achieve their objectives. ”I want you, the commissioner, to send your men to come and interview the villagers. They will tell you how this group has shot and wounded some people, while some have fled to the north and Lagos for safety of their lives.” He added that out of fear that the hoodlums might carry out their threat, he hardly slept in his compound because of “these people.” “They have always come to my house in search of my two sons as well as my daughter,” he added. The petition also reads, “They have always boasted that they have backers and that if they kill me and my children, nobody will question them, not even the police, while they repeatedly referred to me as a slave. “I have told them to approach the matter through the law court, instead of looking for someone else‘s blood to achieve their objective.” The petition, which was also copied to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of zone 9, Umuahia, Abia State, also stated, ”Nobody in our village can challenge these people. If you see them; they are always looking drunk with raps of Indian hemps with fearful faces. “I am finding it difficult to sleep in my house because they may come anytime as the deadline they gave me is fast approaching.” The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the receipt of the petition. “The command is looking into the matter and will take urgent steps,” he said.