A legal practitioner based in Anambra State, Mr. Ndubuisi Onyeakpa has been declared missing from his community after alleged consistent invasion of his country home at Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State by the police.

According to a family source, Onyeakpa was last seen in public last year December.

It was also gathered that Onyeakpa, who is handling a land case for his community, Umuncheke, became a target of attack by unknown persons, prompting his kinsmen and his colleagues in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to petition the police.

Information has it that some people in police uniform, in the early hours of October 2015, invaded Onyeakpa’s apparently to arrest him over alleged petition by another community, but he was able to escape.

Reacting to the incident, the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Ali Okechukwu, said that it was possible that the police anti-cult group that went to arrest Mr. Onyeakpa might be acting on the orders of the State Commissioner of Police.

However, as a result of the development, the land case which Onyeakpa was handling for his community has been stalled and his fellow lawyers said Onyeakpa’s whereabouts is still unknown as at the time of filing this report.

Worried by the development, officials of the Aguata branch of NBA have urged the Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, to call his men in Zone 9, Umuahia, the Anambra State Police Command and divisional police offices in the area to order, warning that the security operatives would be held responsible should anything happen to Onyeakapa.

Chairman of NBA in Aguata, Mr. Sabastain Anyia and a former chairman of NBA in the area, Chief Aniazoka Zokas, wondered why the police should be harassing Onyeakpa for merely representing his clients in a matter that is before a court.

They observed that Onyeakpa’s ordeal has continued despite an order by the Federal High Court sitting in Awka restraining the police and other defendants from invading his house.

“Onyeakpa was only carrying out his duty as a lawyer and we wonder why the police should invade his house in the wee hours after scaling his walls.

“To us, the reason for such an action was to kill him and that is why we are urging the IG to prevail on his men in Abia and Anambra states to leave him alone.”

•Photo shows NBA National President Augustine Alegeh, SAN.

Update news