By Ovat Abeng
The Executive Chairman of Idemili North Local Government Area, Hon. Stanley Nkwoka, has warned that acts of rascality and thuggery must no longer be tolerated in the council area under his watch.
Nkwoka issued the warning while reacting to allegations made by a House of Representatives aspirant for Idemili North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi, who accused him of attempting to assassinate him on Sunday.
Ibezi made the allegation in a statement titled “Attempted Assassination of Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Ibezi by Thugs Allegedly Linked to Idemili North Mayor, Chief Stanley Nkwoka – Two Police Officers Hospitalised.”
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Reacting further on the development, Nkwoka stressed that, “We cannot continue to tolerate rascality and thuggery in Idemili North. We must end this culture and restore order. Everyone must obey the law and respect government rules.”
According to him, he was shown a letter indicating that Ibezi planned to hold a stakeholders’ meeting in Abaja-Abatete to discuss the political future of the constituency.
Nkwoka said he contacted Ibezi and advised him to postpone the meeting to allow for adequate security arrangements, but the aspirant declined.
“When you plan a stakeholders’ meeting to decide the fate of Idemili North and South, and you choose to hold it in my town without proper security, it is wrong. As the mayor and chief security officer of the LGA, I am the first person to be held accountable in the event of any breach. I asked him to reschedule so we could put security measures in place, but he refused. As a result, I ordered the building sealed,” Nkwoka said.
He further stated that Ibezi had no legal right to enter a government-sealed building, especially with individuals he described as thugs and persons allegedly posing as police officers.
“There is a standing directive that police should not escort private individuals. I do not know how he obtained police personnel. He attempted to force his way into the sealed building, which led to a confrontation with security operatives. During the struggle, a gun was discharged and someone was injured in the leg. No one can clearly state who fired the shot,” he added.
Nkwoka accused Ibezi of using intimidation tactics, stating that such behavior failed on this occasion.
He also alleged that those accompanying the aspirant were not legitimate security personnel.
“A building sealed by the authorities cannot be accessed without proper clearance. Instead of contacting me to resolve the issue, he resorted to confrontation. He allegedly instructed his supporters to attack security personnel on lawful duty,” he said.
The mayor stated that he was not present at the scene and maintained that Ibezi should have sought clarification rather than escalating the situation.
On political alignment, Nkwoka stated that he remains neutral and cannot endorse any aspirant.
“As mayor, I must remain impartial. All aspirants are like my children politically. I can advise, but I cannot support one over another. Doing so would create unnecessary enmity. The best candidate should emerge,” he said.
He addressed claims that he was supporting another aspirant, stating that his past political roles should not be misinterpreted.
“I coordinated Ibezi’s campaign in 2019, when he won, and also worked with Ike Cubana in 2023. That does not imply wrongdoing. However, as mayor, I can no longer coordinate for anyone,” he clarified.
Nkwoka accused Ibezi of disregarding due process, alleging that the aspirant had previously held unauthorized meetings and failed to notify security agencies about the planned gathering.
“If you intend to hold a public meeting of that scale, you must inform the police, DSS, and local authorities to ensure proper security. Inviting thousands of people without such arrangements is irresponsible,” he said.
He added that the gunshot incident was not a targeted attack but occurred during a struggle.
“From what I was told, the shot was fired during a confrontation and hit someone in the leg. Those affected have been treated and discharged,” he noted.
