Investigation by NewsBand has unmasked how a deadly syndicate operating in Nnobi, Idemili South local government area of Anambra State attempted to kill a 24 year old orphan, Ms Victoria Nzube Mbachu and her four kids after seizing her property and defrauding her over N32 million Naira.
The syndicate headed by one Mr Chijioke Okaa and his collaborators from Benin Republic orchestrated the heist.
Who Is Chijioke Okaa?
Peter Chijioke Okaa, aka Ikonso is a native of Nnobi town who parade himself as a traditionalist. He controls several fetish shrines in Nnobi town and other neighboring communities. He uses his shrines to settle disputes and collect debts.
He is also reported to use his fetish shrines to threaten and intimidate members of the society and illegally collect their valuables, especially properties and land.
How Trouble Started For Nzube:
Trouble, according to a source that spoke to this paper started for Nzube after she met a man in 2018 who introduced himself as Oluwafemi Salako, a Nigerian citizen from Ogun State.
He was reportedly living at Nnewi town when they met and he asked Nzube out which she later agreed. Mr Salako thereafter, moved into her house at Nnobi which is a neighboring town.
Shortly after, Oluwafemi Salako brought Mr. Peter Chijioke Okaa to her residence and introduced him as a very good friend to Nzube.
Little did she know that the both men were plotting to harm her and takeover the property which her late father left behind.
Nzube heavily got entangled with the syndicate after an American Army veteran and businessman, Bonaventure Ezekwenna who is also an indigene of Nnobi bought a property worth N10 million in September 2021 from her.
Shortly after selling the house to Mr. Ezekwenna, her boyfriend Oluwafemi Salako convinced her to relocate to Lagos to start a business with the money which she ignorantly agreed without knowing the danger that was lurking.
But on getting to Lagos, Oluwafemi Salako took Nzube and her 4 kids to his father’s house at Mende, Maryland, Lagos State and that was exactly the time they started perfecting plans to scam Nzube of all the money she travelled down to Lagos with.
She was taken down to Sango Ota, Ogun State by Oluwafemi Salako and his father who also connived with another Benin Republic syndicate to defraud Nzube of all money in her possession in the name of selling uncompleted building on a plot of land to her.
When things was not panning out as planned after arriving in Lagos, out of curiosity, Nzube started sniffing around and discovered that Oluwafemi Salako who told her he is a Nigerian from Ogun State is actually not a Nigerian, but from Benin Republic.
His father, Michael H. Adeomu is from Benin Republic, likewise his stepmother and all members of his family (Including his brothers and sisters).
While ransacking their apartment, she also found Salako childhood Benin Republic elementary school identity cards bearing Claude Gounou Aloukou.
It was then she finally realized the danger that was lurking. It dawned on her that the so called boyfriend, his father and Chijioke Okaa ganged up to defraud her of every penny in her bank account.
When she asked questions about what is happening to her money, Femi Salako threatened to kill her, cut her dead body into pieces and use them for money rituals, and no one will ever know.
How Nzube Was Rescued From The Syndicate:
Victoria Nzube Mbachu was rescued by SCID Lagos following a petition by Mr Bonaventure against her, Peter Chijioke Okaa, and Oluwafemi Salako and others.
After Bonaventure bought the N10 million property from Nzube, Chijioke Okaa who is the arrowhead of the deadly syndicate attacked his workers in the site and looted all the materials he procured for the development of the property under the guise that Nzube first sold it to him. And this was happening after Nzube must have eloped with her lover to Lagos.
Most detailed revelations of the criminal activities of Peter Chijioke Okaa came from Oluwafemi Salako at SCID, Lagos State Police Command in October 2021 after his arrest.
During SCID Lagos investigation, the detectives discovered that she was cornered by a very dangerous money ritual syndicates who were on the verge of killing her, if not for their timely intervention.
What Nzube And Salako Told Police During Investigation:
During investigation, Nzube and Salako told detectives that Bonaventure Ezekwenna paid N10m for the property and that Mr. Okaa did not pay any money for the said property as he earlier claimed.
The duo further made some heart-wrenching revelations respectively to detectives.
Nzube told detectives her horrific life story from the time her father died, how she was surrounded by relatives who wanted her to get married or dead so they will share her property among themselves, her ordeals in the hands of landgrabbers and fraudsters at Nnobi town, how she end up in Lagos/Ogun States, till the time of her arrest.
Mr. Oluwafemi Salako on his part, revealed to detectives that he is a very close associate and confidant of Mr. Peter Chijioke Okaa who portrays himself in Nnobi town and surrounding areas as a custodian of several fetish shrines and a traditionalist.
Mr. Salako revealed to detectives that Mr. Okaa is actually a leader of a very deadly cult syndicate. He told detectives about the deadly criminal activities of his cult crimes syndicate, comprising police officers at Nnobi Police Station, Amichi and Nnewi Police Stations and Anambra Police Command headquarters Amawbia, Awka.
He also told detectives that members of the cult syndicate include some lawyers, some magistrates and some politicians and community leaders in the area. According to Salako, members of the cult syndicate use culture and tradition to camouflage their heinous criminal activities.
He said, “no be native medicine or tradition him de do, na yahoo+, money rituals, kidnapping, hired assassin, unknown gun-men, attacking police and soldiers and collecting their guns and uniforms, land-grabbing, various frauds, yahoo-yahoo, human organs and parts, hard drugs, mkpulu-mmili, etc, na him de do. Him just de use shrines and tradition to do camouflage”, a source privy to the investigation told NewsBand.
According to Mr. Salako, those police officers, lawyers, politicians and other members will do anything and everything to protect the criminal activities of the syndicate.
He also revealed to detectives that he is just one out of many hardcore criminals from Benin Republic who invaded various cities, towns and villages in Nigeria on various falsified Yoruba names claiming to be Nigerians.
Salako further disclosed to detectives that he bears Oluwafemi Salako in Nigeria, but his real name from birth is Claude Gounou Aloukou, a national of Benin Republic.
He said when a cult member is in trouble at any police station, Mr. Okaa will send him to the station and once a Yoruba police officer is at the station, he will speak Yoruba to him or her and the matter will be settled with little cash exchanging hands.
Also, Mr. Salako revealed that seeing that Victoria Nzube Mbachu is a poor orphan and completely estranged from her family and relatives, the cult syndicate plotted secretly to kill and takeover her land by force.
He made many chilling and horrific revelations, including how he planned to take Mbachu and her 4 little children to Benin Republic, before police arrested them.
Chijioke Turned Down Police Invite:
When detective at Lagos (SCID and FCID Alagbon) contacted Peter Chijioke Okaa and invited him to Lagos, he refused to honor police invitations.
DSS Refused To Act:
The head of DSS team at Idemili South local government Headquarters Ojoto Anambra State interviewed Nzube. After the interview, the DSS operative wondered why police blatantly refused to act promptly to restore Nzube back to her home in Nnobi.
According to her, she submitted a report to the Director of DSS Anambra State Command for necessary actions and that was the last heard of DSS on its investigation on the matter.
Why Nzube Is Currently Homeless:
After Oluwafemi Salako trafficked Miss Nzube and her children to Lagos/Ogun States where the criminal syndicates from Benin Republic robbed her silly, Peter Chijioke Okaa illegally demolished her 2 bedrooms house at Nnobi town and is currently building a 2 storey structure on the land.
That is the reason why she is currently homeless and has nowhere to go now. This is also the reason she is under the protective custody of NAPTIP, Anambra State Command.
NAPTIP said it has no power to return Nzube to her house at Nnobi town.
An Awka-based journalist wrote a petition on behalf of Nzube which he submitted to NAPTIP Anambra State Command, Anambra State Police Command, DSS Anambra State Command, Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs, leaders of Anambra State House of Assembly, etc. Only NAPTIP responded by giving her shelter and enrolled her children in school.
The immediate past CP Anambra State referred the petition to SCID for investigation. The SCID officers wanted money to open investigation and since the concerned journalist did not have money to play along, the case was abandoned by the police at SCID Amawbia.
The Role Of Anambra State Government In The Case:
However, NewsBand reliably gathered that governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra State is aware of the plights of Nzube but has blatantly refused to act.
Her ordeals were sent to the telephone numbers of the governor, his security hotlines and a petition was also submitted to Commissioner, Anambra State Ministry of Women Affairs but no response was received.
