Bright Johnson, a 33-year-old native doctor in the Obolo area of Mbano in Owerri, Imo State, has been missing since he was reportedly abducted on December 26, by armed men allegedly led by the youth president of the community, Amaze Chibuke popularly called Jaguar.
His five-year-old son was allegedly shot dead by the armed men said to personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Owerri.
His pregnant housewife, Mrs. Jennifer Johnson, disclosed told SaharaReporters that her husband had missing since the incident.
Mrs Johnson claimed that a commercial motorcyclist, who was taken into custody along with her husband after bringing a patient to their home for herbal treatment, has provided her with disturbing information.
Following his release, the motorcyclist told her that her husband was being detained in a secret cell by the DSS in Owerri.
She said the motorcyclist told her that after they were whisked away, they found themselves at the DSS office in Owerri but noted that he and Mr Johnson were separated and put in separate cells.
Jennifer, described the motorcyclist as visibly traumatised when he spoke to her, noting that the man had not seen her husband since they were separated at the DSS office.
She said, “My father-in-law has gone to the DSS office but they did not allow him to see his son. They told him to go to Mbano headquarters to collect a letter authorising him to come to DSS.
“When he went to Mbano headquarters where the DSS asked to go and collect a letter, he was told that the commander was in Abuja. So the DSS was dribbling the old man around the state.
“We have reported the matter to the police. Prior to his arrest, he filed a case against the youth president of the community, Amaze Chibuke, over a land dispute. We have also reported the killing of my son to the police. I met with the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, in his office on Monday and he told me to report the killing of my son to the division police headquarters in my area so that they will make an arrest.
“I don’t have money to mobilise the police to make the arrest now. We have spent so much money running around the state looking for where they kept him. We are still appealing to Nigerians to come to my help.
“They’re trying to frame my husband so that they can justify the killing of our son. If nothing is fishy, why did Chibuke run to the DSS when the case was already with the police?”
SaharaReporters reported on Sunday that Mrs. Jennifer had cried out over the alleged extrajudicial killing of her five-year-old son by some men led by Amaze Chibuke.
Mrs. Johnson, in her cry for justice addressed to the Director-General of the DSS and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, also accused the youth president of the Obolo community for ordering the shooting of her husband’s brother, Okechukwu Johnson, and arrest of her husband over undisclosed charges.
Mrs. Johnson alleged that the youth president, who is involved in a land dispute with her husband, invaded their home in company with unidentified youths with pump action guns and ordered the shooting of her husband and his younger brother for resisting arrest.
She said, “My husband was shot in the leg and taken away to an undisclosed location on December 26. His younger brother was shot in the back and my five-year-old son was shot dead.”
Mrs. Johnson, who is pregnant, said after much pressure from family members and her husband’s kinsmen, Chubuke claimed that her husband was being detained at the DSS office at Irete along Onitsha Road in Owerri, Imo State.
She said, “I’m calling on the DG of DSS and the IG of police to wade into this matter and save my husband from the killer squad of Chibuke.
“The family have attempted to gain access to my husband on several occasions but the DSS officials have refused. I want to know if my husband is still alive or not. He does not even know that his son has been shot dead.
“My husband is innocent of any charge. This is a case of disputed family land that is being used to haunt my husband.”