The Otti family has dismissed allegations by Mr. Joseph Otti that his younger brother, Mr. Hilary Otti, hired thugs to destroy his house and unlawfully detained his wife, Mrs. Oby Otti, in police custody for five days.
Reacting to the claims, a member of the family, Barrister Vivian Otti, described the allegations as false and misleading, insisting that Mr. Hilary Otti had no involvement in the incident.
According to her, Joseph Otti allegedly presented a distorted account of events in order to attract public sympathy.
Barrister Otti explained that Joseph and his wife brought “Agbara” (a deity) into the family compound, an action she said generated tension within the community.
She stated that efforts by the community vigilante group to remove the deity were resisted, alleging that Joseph, his wife, and their children confronted and overpowered the vigilante operatives.
She further disclosed that the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Ihezie Felix Ononuju, subsequently invited officers of the Imo State Police Command, who eventually succeeded in evacuating the deity from the compound.
“It was the village people that were against this thing and reported it. They said it was disturbing the entire community because we do not live in the village. It was the Eze that arrested Joseph and handed him over to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (Tiger Base), not any individual,” she said.
Barrister Otti also alleged that the vehicle used to evacuate the deity was involved in an accident shortly after leaving the compound.
She further claimed that following the removal of the shrine, an assault occurred.
“After the police removed the shrine, in anger they saw my daughter and beat her. My brother’s wife hit the poor girl with a pestle on the back of her neck. She slumped and passed out. They thought she was dead and ran away,” she alleged.
She added that the victim was hospitalized throughout the Christmas period.
“I spent the rest of my Christmas holiday lying on a bench at the hospital,” she said.
Barrister Otti maintained that Mrs. Oby Otti was arrested for attempted murder and not on account of the deity, adding that she personally facilitated her bail from police custody.
She accused Joseph Otti, whom she identified as a Ph.D holder, of lying during his press briefing to manipulate public opinion, insisting that his son was never ill as claimed.
She further alleged that the deity was brought into the compound because Joseph believed it would multiply his wealth.
However, reacting to the development, the Executive Director of Advocacy for Alleged Witches, Dr. Leo Igwe, faulted the actions of the vigilante group and the police.
Dr. Igwe stated that deities are not recognized by law and emphasized that individuals are free to hold and practice religious beliefs of their choice.
“A deity is not recognized by law. Anything can be a deity. The vigilante had no right to remove it, and the police acted illegally by evacuating it,” he said.
He cautioned against invoking tradition in legal matters.
“If you bring tradition to court, you will make a caricature of yourself,” he added.
Dr. Igwe maintained that Joseph Otti and his family are victims in the matter.
“If we start attacking people based on what they keep in their compounds, nobody will be alive today. Everyone has freedom of religion or belief, including the freedom to express and manifest such beliefs in practice,” he said.
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