Egiji Atigwe, the son of Hon. David Atigwe, a former Deputy Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, has been implicated in supplying firearms to armed robbers and kidnappers.
Hon. David Atigwe is also the elder brother of Hon. Simon Atigwe, who recently lost his seat in the House of Representatives to Labour Party’s Dennis Agbo, following a Court of Appeal decision regarding the rerun election for Udenu/Igboeze North Federal Constituency.
A suspect, identified as Emzor, who was arrested for his involvement in robbery and kidnapping activities in Igboeze North local government area and parts of the Nsukka zone, revealed during an interrogation that Egiji supplied guns to his gang.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters on Wednesday, Emzor provided details about the criminal network, naming several members. During the 4-minute, 7-second video, recorded by operatives of the Enugu State Neighbourhood Watch, Emzor, speaking in the local dialect while kneeling, confessed that Egiji Atigwe supplied them with firearms, including a double-barrelled gun. He further disclosed that Egiji had gone into hiding.
Additionally, the suspect revealed that Egiji was responsible for dividing the proceeds of their criminal activities among the gang members. When questioned by the police about how much they extorted from a particular victim, Emzor claimed ignorance but admitted that he received N35,000 as his share, adding that Egiji handled the money distribution.
Throughout the interrogation, Emzor also mentioned two other gang members by their nicknames, Star Boy and Cobra. His hands were handcuffed behind his back as he endured police questioning and physical torture.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach the Enugu State Police Command for an official statement were unsuccessful, as the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, did not respond to calls or messages at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, SaharaReporters gathered information suggesting that Egiji’s family is attempting to obstruct the case. According to a source, it appears that the state government may have become involved, as Mr. Urama, the Commissioner for Finance, who is from the same area as the Atigwes, has visited the Enugu-Ezike divisional police, urging them to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
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