While their mates are busy receiving lectures on campuses, this is not the case for Mustard and Destiny Ekweremadu as they are in the custody of the Nigerian Army for undisclosed reasons.
Both Mustard, 24, and Destiny, 26, are princes as they are children of his eminence, Eze B.O. Ekweremadu, the traditional head of Ngwaland, with the title, Ezeukwu of Ngwaukwu, in Abia State.
Sadly, the king and his entire kingdom have been in despair over the refusal of the army authorities to release the princes they arrested since April 7, 2012.
The family has therefore raised the alarm over the harassment and detention of the princes despise a court order that has mandated the army to release them.
Solomon Ekweremadu, their elder brother, expressed fear over the condition and whereabouts of his brothers as he alleged that the army is being used by political opponents in the state to discredit his father and the entire family.
Solomon said: “On the 7th of April, 2012, my father the Ezeukwu of Ngwaland commissioned the documentation of Ngwa history and also gave one of his daughters out in marriage. By about 12 midnight, the entire palace, with over 100 residents, was rudely awakened to the shocking sight of dozens of armed men in army uniforms climbing the fence and breaking through the gates into the palace. The princes were made to sit on the floor and were humiliated.”
Solomon said that the army shot sporadically into the air and one of their bullets hit Mustard, his brother, whom the army took away after more than one hour of invading their palace and causing fear and panic.
He added: “The police from the Isilangwa Police Station were invited but the army tuned them back as they also shot and abducted Mustard. The army came in 10 military trucks and an armoured tank as they desecrated the palace. But about 01.30am the next day, the army, led by a Major, received a phone call that made him withdraw his men. They took Mustard away and we have not seen him since then.”
Solomon said the army came back the next day and also arrested Destiny, adding: “This time it was in the afternoon and the army was led by one General J. Tanko Abubakar, the Commander of the 14 Division Umuahia. It would interest you that it is almost 60 days since the incident and both princes are still in the custody of the army. Sadly, this whole arrest is politically motivated as the army is being used by political opponents to tarnish my father’s image. When we asked what crime the princes committed, the army said they have petitions against them but we wonder why they are still in the army’s custody since the army told us that this is not a case of murder.”
Justina Ekweremadu, the elder sister of the princes, stated that her brothers have not been attending schools and their ordeal will affect them negatively and is causing the family great pain.
She said: “Mustard is in the Department of Mass Communication at the Abia State University and he is in his 200 level while Destiny is 100 level student studying English and Literary Studies at the Imo State University. Their ordeal is affecting their studies and causing the family great pains.”
As a way of seeking justice, the Ekweremadus have instituted a case against the army at the Umuahia High Court. At the first hearing, the judge ruled that the army should produce the princes before the court on June 5, 2012.
She added: “We are appealing to well meaning Nigerians to join us in the fight against the misuse of power by the army. My father the Eze has been on the throne since 1976 and has served the country in various capacities. He incurred the wrath of opponents and misguided persons in the state because of his fight against crime and criminality, especially kidnapping. So it is all a political gimmick to get back at him and smear his good name. Sadly the army is being used.
“We hope at the end of this ordeal, the princes will be brought back alive and the case would serve as the beginning of the end of the era of harassment and abuse of Nigerians and their rights by men in authorities.”