The people of Idima Abam in Arochukwu LGA of Abia State have sent a save our souls appeal to President Bola Tinubu, Governor Alex Otti and the Abia North Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, to intervene in the crisis that has resulted in the loss of lives and property and the detention of their traditional ruler, Ezeogo Chukwu Jonah.

The people who gathered at the village square made the call during a peaceful protest, pointing an accusing finger at a prominent son of the community, Dr Sampson Orji, as the mastermind of the crisis.

Clad in black attire, the protesters, the majority of whom were women, carried placards with inscriptions, “Ezeogo Chukwu Jonah is our liberator, leave him alone;” “Sampson Orji, leave Idima people alone;” “Sampson Orji, your strength shouldn’t be practised in our darling community,” among others. Speaking to journalists, the president of Idima Abam Development Union (IADU), Mr Patrick Kalu, traced the origin of the crisis to the tussle for the traditional kingship stool by two families of the ruling kindred who have the traditional right to produce the traditional ruler.

He said Dr Sampson Orji took sides with one of the families and sought to impose his choice on the people against the popular choice.

The PG said to achieve his aim, Sampson Orji recruited the Red Chamber members as an enforcement group to hound, harass and intimidate anyone who disagreed with him, including the detained Ezeogo Chukwu Jonah.

Wife of the detained traditional ruler, Mrs Mary Chukwu Jonah, alleged that Dr Sampson Orji is the sponsor and brain behind the Red Chamber group, which has terrorised the community, unleashing mayhem, death and destruction.

She alleged that her husband was whisked to Abuja by security operatives on November 19, 2021, where he has been detained without trial because Dr Sampson Orji vowed that he would not be the traditional ruler.

An elder of the community, Ezinna Nze Henry Njoku, a youth leader, Mr Okorie Oloko, Mr Victor Kalu Nwankwo and Nwanyi Sunday Okoro, corroborated the narrative of violence unleashed by the Red Chamber members.

While Njoku said his head was broken by the group because he opposed their reign of terror, Nwankwo alleged that his house was destroyed with his cassava processing machine because he refused to join the Red Chamber, while the group chased his son away from the village.