Imo Deputy Speaker allegedly brutalizes kinsman for criticizing him on Facebook

The deputy speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Amara Iwuanyanwu, has reportedly ordered the brutalization of his kinsman, Franklin Ozuruigbo.

Narrating the incident to journalists in Owerri, the state capital, on Monday, Ozuruigbo, alleged that the Chief of Staff to deputy speaker, Paul Duru, lured him to the deputy speaker’s lodge in Owerri on Friday.

According to him, he was deceived to wait for the deputy speaker who arrived midnight and ordered his “boys” to beat him for criticizing him on the social media.

The victim who hails from the same community with the deputy speaker, Dim na Nume community in Nwagele local government council of the state whisked him to the state police command headquarters in Owerri, after beating him stupor and ordered that he should be detained in police cell.

According to him, it took the intervention of the member representing Nwangele/ Nkwerre/ Njaba/ Isu federal constituency of , Ugonna Ozurigbo, who arrived the command headquarters with his aides same night and secured his release.

He said that the deputy speaker told him before whisking him away that “no human being from Nwangele can secure my release. I will make sure you rot in police custody. You can’t be insulting me on Facebook and get away with it. I will tell you that we own this state and country.”

Ozurigbo who showed journalists one of his broken arms, tied with bandages, said that he had been hospitalized since he left the police custody. Ozurigbo said “

I am here to let the world know how, the deputy speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Amara Iwuanyanwu, brutalized me in his lodge on Friday night.

After ordering his boys to beat me, he whisked me away to the police command headquarters in Owerri and dumped me.

“He said that I was abusing him on Facebook through my videos but I make bold to say that I have not mentioned his name in any of my posts.

I am just a comendian doing my job. The deputy speaker is my younger brother, who I worked for his victory in 2019. I was surprised how he decided to brutalize me.

“I want the world to hold the deputy speaker responsible should anything happen to me or any member of my family.

I also feared that I was poisoned at his lodge because I took drinks they gave to me before his arrival because I never suspected any foul play. I have been having stomach upset since I took that drink.

“I want to specially thank the member who is representing my federal constituency, Ugonna Ozurigbo, for coming to my rescue. The deputy speaker should know that power is transient. He will not be deputy speaker forever. I will seek legal redress after I have been satisfied fit and healthy by my doctor.”

When contacted, the Chief of staff to the deputy speaker, Paul Duru, said that his principal did not order for the brutalization of Ozurigbo, He said that Ozurigbo was arrested following a petition his principal wrote to the state Commissioner of Police on character defamation on his principal by the comedian.

 The deputy speaker’s aide said that the comedian had been defaming Iwuanyanwu in order to “extort more money from him after he had given him N300,000 five months ago.”