Revenue Collector Accuses Ikwuano Councilors of Involvement in Cultism, As Hon. Nkem Ụba Distances Self From Saga

More revelations have been made on the circumstances surrounding the death of one Mrs Williams, wife of the Leader of the Ikwuano Legislative Council, Mr Ejike Williams.

The late Mrs. Williams, who gave birth nine days ago, reportedly slumped and died on Wednesday after her husband and three other councillors were allegedly assaulted and detained by the Anti-Cult Police Unit following a petition purportedly written by a revenue agent.

The death of the nursing mother sparked protests in parts of Ikwuano, extending to Olokoro, as the villagers brought the lifeless body of the councillor’s wife to the Anti-Cult Police Unit, insisting that policemen at the station must take responsibility for her death.

Reacting, the revenue agent in charge of Umudike Park in Ikwuano Local Government Area, who also doubles as the coordinator of ‘Abia Arise’, a support group of Dr Alex Otti for Oboro Ward 2, Ikwuano Local Government Area, Mr. Ejike Boniface Okpechi narrated his own side of the story.

According to him, the issue began in July 2025 while he was performing his assignment of collecting revenue at the park, one Santiago Agomuo, came there and started harassing him and his worker.

He said he tried to find out exactly what was the matter, Agomuo told him the local government Chairman directed that he (Ejike Boniface) be removed as the revenue agent and replaced by him (Santiago Agomuo).

“Yes, it’s about four months now.When I was at the park, my boy called me and told me that there’s a man named Santiago Agomo, who came there and started harassing them. So I have to come out and ask him what the problem is. He said that the LGA chairman sent him to come and replace me. I asked him, if he understood what he said? He said yes. Now I tried to call the local government chairman. The line was not connecting.”

“He took the revenue that the boy collected and threatened to beat me up. While we were having that heated argument, one of the councilors, came in. I told him what happened, he said he already called the Local Government Chairman because of what was happening there.”

“The councilor, who is the Leader of the Council’s Legislative arm, Mr Ejike Williams gave me his phone for me to speak with the Chairman, who asked all of us to come to the council headquarters to meet with him which I obliged.”

He said before he went to honour the invitation of the council boss, he called the Personal Assistant to the Mayor on political matters to accompany him.

Mr Okpechi who became very emotional said when they got to the council headquarters, the place was deserted as he realized that none of the workers, including theayor, went to work on Mondays.

While they waited for the Mayor to come, he said Mr Santiago drove in, in a Siena bus and started fighting him. According to him, Santiago pulled out a well sharpened Cutlass, brandishing it to signal he was ready to kill him, he said he took to his heels and scampered for safety.

“As he drove in, he tried to fight me.I resisted. He ran to his Sienna bus and brought out a clear matchet. I started running for my dear life. Because there’s nobody to witness what was happening there. While I was running, I realized that I was supposed to run away from that premises so that people would notice what was happening. As I was running, there was one black Highlander jeep that was coming inside the premises. And that was Sunday Okoro’s (a councilor) car. He stopped at the entrance that I should have used to escape. I thought within me that this person who saw somebody coming after me with a matchet and stopped at that entrance, has a lot of ulterior motives.

He said it was there that another councilor also in the car, who is a sibling of Santiago got him down with the car door and began raining punch after punch on him.

Mr OKpechi said he tried to run outside that was where he met over 30 boys, suspected to be members of a cult because they were chanting slogans of a popular secret cult. He said they all pounced on him until he lost consciousness.

He added that Mr Sunday Okoro took his phone and smashed it right there. While all these were going on, the LG boss who invited them, never showed up until when they were satisfied with the beating, he then drove in.

He lodged a complaint at the Police Area Command Headquarters where the police authorities gave him an authorization note to be treated at the Police Clinic.

He said his assailants, two days later petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Police Zone 9, Umuahia accusing Mr OKpechi of vandalism, rape, among other things, but they were referred back to the Area Command where the matter had already been registered. In the petition ,they also alleged that one of the councilors, Hon. Nkem Ụba was the one who sponsored Mr OKpechi because he (Ụba) wanted to become the house leader and tried to impeach Mr Ejike sometime ago.

Dreamnews gathered that the accused persons never honoured the invitation of the police to give their own side of the story from that July till early December. OKpechi said they fought the police severally each time the police tried to arrest them.

Dreamnews contacted Mr Nkem Ụba who denied the allegations, adding that as the one representing Oklechi’s ward, he has the right to ask questions on why his constituent was beaten.

He admitted that there was a time when Mr Ejike was duly impeached by the members due to his incompetence and lackluster attitude.

Ụba alleged that instead of stepping down, he brought a deity from his community into the council headquarters and went into all the offices of the councilors where they did incantations and prophesied death to all the councilors who voted for his impeachment.

He said they placed the deity, known as “Ahia Nkwo” in the Legislative Chambers until the Local Government Chairman paid them to remove it.

According to Ụba, all the councilors refused to go back to sitting until a pastor was brought in to pray but the he (Nkem Ụba) refused to go back because he was the target as according to him, he was the elected one to replace Ejike.

He corroborated the naration of Mr OKpechi in every angle adding that the LG boss has never acted or done anything in all these.

He said later, few days ago, they decided th honour the police invitation at the Anti Cult Unit of the Nigerian Police Force, Abia State Command, Olokoro, where they were detained and granted bail the same day.

On why they were released late, Ụba said the men in the first instance arrived late, at about 4pm and because of the magnitude of the case their delays in writing statements, the matter stretched into late evening.

He also admitted that Mr Ejike Williams’ wife put to bed few weeks ago and had complications

On the other hand, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abia State Command, DSP Maureen Chinaka confirmed the development.

She narrated her side of the story which was in agreement with what OKpechi and Ụba said, but added that the men refused to write their statements at the police office which she said was the reason for the delay in granting them bail.

According to Chinaka, she was surprised that the villagers brought the remains of a woman to the police, accusing them of being responsible for her death.

The matter is still being investigated.

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