Anambra police arraign man for stealing wood from shrine after Amadioha fails to strike him dead

PROSECUTORS from the Anambra State Police Command have arraigned a 54-year-old man identified as Generian Ezenwata for stealing firewood from a religious local shrine in Umuchu known as Ohia Di Awo.

Despite desecrating the shrine, Mr Ezenwata was not struck down by Amadioha, the Igbo god of thunder or any of the other local dieties.  He was subsequently arrested and arraigned before the Anambra State Magistrates’ Court sitting in Achina in Aguata Local Government Area of the state and presided over by Chief Magistrate Agwunobi.

According to the prosecution, the firewood Mr Ezenwata stole from the Ohia Di Awo shrine forest was worth N38,250. He was also charged with placing palm fronds on the wood, which belonged to one Hillary Ezenwamadu and giving false information to the police by claiming ownership of the firewood.

His charge sheet read: “That you, Generian Ezenwata, sometime in May 2019, at the Ohia Di Awo shrine in Osete, Umuchu, Aguata Magisterial District, did steal 4,500 pieces of wood valued at N38,250,000, property of one Hillary  Ezenwamadu, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 353 (12) of the Criminal Code, Cap 36, of the Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991 as amended. That you, Generian Ezenwata, on the aforesaid date, place and magisterial district, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by placing palm fronds on pieces of wood belonging to one Hillary Ezenwamadu, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 247 (d) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 36, Vol. ii of the Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 1991, as amended.

“That you, Generian Ezenwata, on the aforesaid date in Umuchu, did give information to the police that Hillary Ezenwamadu  and Chukwudi Ezenwabasili forcefully entered your property situated inside a shrine popularly known as and called Ohia Di Awo, which information you knew or believed to be false and which made the assistant superintendent of police,  Okey Nwachukwu, and Inspector Bassey Ubana, persons employed in the public service of the federation, to exercise or use their lawful powers to the injury or annoyance of the aforementioned persons, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 154 (1) (b) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 36, Vol II of the Revised Laws of Anambra State, 1991, as amended.”