Group Raises Alarm Over Billion Naira House Linked To Uzodinma’s Aide, Nwaneri

A civil society organisation, Imo Accountability for Good Governance (IAGG), has accused Chinasa Nwaneri, the Special Adviser on Special Duties to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, of profiting from ‘Criminal activities and extensive extortion of Imo residents’.

James Onwubiko, a human rights lawyer and founder of the group, while speaking in Owerri on Friday, said an independent investigation has shown that Nwaneri has so many accountability questions to respond to.

Onwubiko disclosed that his group received reports from a whistleblower that has connected the influential aide to a nearly-completed multi-billion naira mansion.

“The property, sitting on about 6000 sqm is situated at 1st Avenue, Capitol layout, new Owerri behind the Imo state House of Assembly, currently holds an estimated value of about N1 billion. This value is predicted to increase upon its completion.”

He also queried how a government appointee could afford such opulence.

Speaking further, Onwubiko explained that information at their disposal revealed that Nwaneri operates with several thugs, using them for state-wide extortion under the guise of unregistered taskforces.

Continuing, he said; “Further investigations revealed that Mr. Nwaneri’s ally is a figure known as ‘Pape’, a recognised cultist who terrorises individuals, transporters, and traders that fail to pay mandatory monthly protection fees. Recently, Pape and his gang, operating with government house police officers and two Hilux vehicles, engaged in a violent encounter with Bathos Nwadike, a politician who had fallen out of favour with the administration.”

“Pape’s group reportedly murdered two commercial motorcyclists who fell behind in payment of their two-month arrears of the monthly N300,000 protection fee, despite the government’s prohibition of okada operations in the city. We learnt that community leaders intervened, preventing potential riots and bloodshed in Owerri between Okada operators and the Taskforce in April of this year.”

“Apart from these grave incidents, Mr. Nwaneri has allegedly established over six illegal Task Forces, each generating at least one million naira daily.Bank records reveal that one of the accounts used to receive daily transfers contained payments from the criminal task forces, as well as from government agencies like Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) and Imo State Government’s Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO).”

“Careful examination of PAPE’s account showed an accumulated sum of over N576,000,000.00 (Five hundred and seventy-six million Naira) received from 2021 up to the present time. Additionally, one of the multiple accounts employed for these activities is held in UBA and belongs to ‘Chinwuike Uche Chikwere’ with account number 2127182467.”

“Other accounts include Chinasa’s Domiciliary account and another belonging to ‘Orufe Investment Ltd’, a forex dealing company owned by a friend of Mr. Nwaneri. The identities of individuals managing two other accounts discovered during this investigation remain unknown.”

Meanwhile, the anti-corruption activist urged the Governor and relevant security agencies to disclose Mr. Nwaneri’s statement of accounts to the public.

He also demands that anti-graft agencies initiate a financial investigation into Mr. Nwaneri’s affairs and the Uzodinma-led administration..

“If he has nothing to hide, he should willingly cooperate with the agencies.”