…Wants govt, police to fish out perpetrators.
…Condemns rascality of security personnel
By Eze Adiuku
Following the reported attack on Shiva Shidhi Fellowship International Center, Umuogu Amuzu in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State on 20th May, 2023 by security operatives, the founder of the religious center and spiritual hermit/Natural Scientist, Dr Benjamin Chijioke Onwukwe, has raised alarm that he lives in fears as he has not been able to visit the religious center since then.
Addressing a press conference at the Imo NUJ Secretariat, Owerri on Friday, Dr Onwukwe who said he wants to “bring to the notice of the world the untold story of the malicious attack and invasion of my spiritual colony and the Shiva Shidhi Fellowship International Center on 20/5/2023 by a combined team of security operatives”.
Dr Onwukwe who hails from Amuzu Nwenkwo in Aboh Mbaise LGA, revealed that he established the spiritual colony since 1983 and has invested a lot in the place since then.
He said he had invested interest in herbs and knowledge of nature and initiated in “the craft of African Traditional Medicines and the Ayurvedic Sciences of the Indian Ancient Healing System”.
The interest to use these knowledge for the benefit of mankind led him to establish the spiritual colony and a herbal Trado-Medical company – Holistic Trado-Medical Research Limited, which researches and produces about 60 different herbal remedies to heal the sick.
Continuing, Dr Onwukwe said he also established aqua farms, Api-farming (Bee farming) and modern irrigational farming methods and dry season vegetable farming.
“I have been expanding my breed of Tropical Cassava and other tropical economic trees for the upcoming generations”, he disclosed.
The religious hermit who believes and practices Hindu nonviolence of AHIMSA, said the spiritual center serves as a pilgrimage center where the religious visits including foreigners for spiritual regeneration.
He expressed misgivings on why such a serene and quiet place could be target for attack by armed security personnel backed with armoured personnel carrier who destroyed their investments and in the process, his security man, John Patrick Akinolo, a Yourba man, was shot dead.
The Mbaise born spiritual hermit said he has the constitutionally guaranteed right as a Nigerian to practice and propagate his religious belief within his spiritual colony as it is duely registered.
He called on federal as well as Imo State governments and the police to investigate the killing of the security man and the damage caused to the center in order to bring the perpetrators to book.
Answering questions from journalists, Legal Adviser to Dr Onwukwe, Barr Charles Akwuete said there was no prior warning or information of alleged misconduct was brought to the notice of his client.
He said the link could be the reported gruesome murder of some police personnel at Okpala recently which attracted the heavy presence of security operatives, adding that they may have combed the neighbouring communities as it was alleged that the unknown gunmen followed the Okpala -Mbaise road as they fled.
Barr Akwuete revealed that they have petitioned the police to investigate the real perpetrators.
