A comedian, Franklin Ozuruigbo, has accused the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Amara Iwuanyanwu, of allegedly brutalising him. Addressing journalists in Owerri, the state capital, on Monday, Ozuruigbo alleged that the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker, Paul Duru, tricked him to the deputy speaker’s lodge in Owerri on Friday.
He claimed to have been deceived into waiting for the deputy speaker, who reportedly arrived at midnight and ordered he should be beaten up for his skits on social media. The comedian, who hails from the same community with the deputy speaker, Dim na Nume community, said he was later taken to the police command headquarters in Owerri.
He said the member representing Nwangele/Nkwerre/ Njaba/ Isu Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ugonna Ozurigbo, secured his bail.
Ozurigbo, who showed journalists one of his broken arms tied with bandages, said he had been hospitalised since he left police custody. He said, “I am here to let the world know how the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Amara Iwuanyanwu, brutalised me in his lodge on Friday night. After ordering his boys to beat me up, he whisked me away to the police command headquarters in Owerri and dumped me there.
“He said I was abusing him on Facebook through my videos, but I have never mentioned his name in any of my skits. I am just a comedian doing my job. I worked for his victory in 2019. I am surprised he decided to brutalise me.
“I want the world to hold the deputy speaker responsible should anything happen to me or any member of my family. I also fear that I was poisoned at his lodge because I took drinks they gave to me before his arrival because I never suspected foul play. I have been having stomach upsets since I took that drink. I will seek legal redress after I have been certified fit and healthy by my doctor.”
The Chief of Staff to the Deputy Speaker, Duru, said Ozurigbo was not brutalised by his principal. He explained that the comedian was arrested following a petition his principal wrote to the state Commissioner of Police on character defamation by the comedian.
The aide said the comedian had been defaming Iwuanyanwu to “extort more money from him after he gave him N300,000 five months ago.”
PUNCH