A Hatchet Job Gone Too Far: In Defence of General Igwe Omoke and the Integrity of Mgbom N’Echara
By Rt Hon Linus Okorie,FCA
As a son of Ebonyi State, former federal lawmaker and one who has dedicated much of my public life to the pursuit of justice, truth, and the advancement of young leaders, I am compelled to respond to the deeply troubling and politically motivated report recently published by Sahara Reporters SaharaTV targeting General Igwe Omoke, one of the very few individuals from Ohaozara Local Government Area; nay Ebonyi State, to have risen through merit and sacrifice to the exalted rank of General in the Nigerian Army.
This report is, without doubt, a hatchet job, allegedly sponsored and orchestrated by a top political officeholder who hails from Omoke’s neighboring community and has made it his lifelong ambition to control everyone and everything around him. His disturbing pattern of manipulation, career sabotage, and destruction of promising lives has become a stain on the conscience of our state. Now, he seeks to destroy not just the career of General Omoke, but the soul of an entire community.
Let us be clear: General Omoke’s only offense was accepting the call of his people to attend the venue of a traditional leadership selection process, while on official pass, to lend his voice in the interest of peace and unity. He came in good faith, with no political ambition or ulterior motive; but fell into a hidden trap when he allegedly refused to compromise the integrity of the process as requested by the big masquerade.
Unrelenting, the political hawks infiltrated the process, determined to impose an unpopular candidate on the community through intimidation, deceit, and misinformation.
To claim, as Sahara Reporters did, that an “undercover police officer”, Stanley-Duke Ngene; was assaulted by General Omoke is not only ludicrous, it is an insult to the intelligence of Ebonyians. The so-called undercover operative is a well-known serving police Inspector who is himself an indigene of the same community. How can a known local figure conduct an undercover operation in his own village? Such a theory would not survive five seconds of scrutiny in any serious investigative setting.
Even more disturbing is the fact that the said Inspector Ngene was reportedly briefly detained by the order of the State Commissioner of Police, CP Uche Anya, following a preliminary investigation into his reported violent conduct at the venue. It is common knowledge that it was this same Inspector who assaulted the General and his orderly. Eyewitnesses and video evidence, sadly edited in the version published by Sahara Reporters to serve a sinister agenda, confirm that General Omoke acted with the utmost restraint and discipline, upholding the decorum expected of his profession and rank.
What we are witnessing is not a quest for truth, but a coordinated effort to assassinate the character of a fine officer and gentleman, instigated by individuals obsessed with power and control. The political officeholder in question, alongside his cohorts, a presidential adviser and the LGA chairman, both from the same axis; must be told in clear terms that Enough is enough!
I call on the following institutions to act swiftly and decisively:
1. The HQ Nigerian Army: Disregard this politically tainted report. General Omoke has served his country with honour, and nothing in this hatchet job diminishes that service. His record speaks louder than any media fabrication.
2. The Ebonyi State Police Command and Nigeria Police Force: Publicly clarify the identity and status of the so-called undercover operative and release your findings from the reported inquiry into his conduct at the venue.
3. The Federal Government Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu: Caution appointees who are abusing their positions to pursue petty vendettas and destabilize communities for personal gain.
4. The Good People of Mgbom N’Echara: Stand up in defence of your son. You must not allow external forces to impose a traditional leader on you. Your right to choose is sacred, and you must resist all attempts at intimidation and deceit.
5. The Media and Civil Society: Let this incident serve as a moment of reflection on the importance of balanced, ethical journalism. No public figure should be tried and convicted in the court of public opinion without the benefit of fairness and truth.
Finally, let me state clearly that I f any harm, career-wise or otherwise, befalls General Omoke as a result of this malicious fabrication, the people of Ebonyi must hold the power drunk political officeholder and his collaborators personally responsible. Their fingerprints are all over this, and history will not forget.
We must not allow the narrow interests of a few to silence the potential of many. General Omoke represents the excellence that is possible when young Ebonyians rise through discipline, service, and courage. He must be protected, encouraged and preserved; not persecuted.
Rt. Hon. Linus Okorie, FCA
Former Member, House of Representatives and Advocate for Justice and Good Governance