By Anayo Okoli
AMEKE-ABAM in Arochukwu local government area of Abia State erupted in serious crisis yesterday when the youths of the community engaged in violent protests over last week’s killing of Comrade Chidi Nwosu, who the youths regarded as a crusader and champion of justice in the area.

The protesters burned property and maimed members of the community suspected to have a hand in the killing.

Reports from the sleepy community said the youths were irked by the gruesome murder of Nwosu, a prominent civil rights crusader who had been fighting previous and present governments in Abia State over policies considered to be anti-people as well as alleged corruption amongst government functionaries.

Nwosu was killed in his house in the early hours of last Tuesday, December 28, 2010, in a very controversial circumstance, with the members of the community crying foul.

Vanguard learnt that the community, particularly the youths, linked the killing of the human rights crusader to his sustained fight over the Rubber Plantation located in his community which was allegedly sold out to the family of a former governor of the state.

Nwosu fought a protracted battle to ensure the plantation was retrieved from those who bought it and had it returned to the government.

It is believed that the rubber plantation is a money-spinning venture if well managed.

After the legal tussle and other struggle to retrieve the plantation, and following Governor Theodore Orji’s breakaway from his mentor and former governor of the state, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Nwosu, who until then was an ardent critic of the government of Orji, made a u-turn and started supporting him.

He was then appointed the general manager of the rubber plantation in his area and was said to be trying to turn it around and get the youths engaged there before he was killed last week.

The aggrieved youths, after waiting for police to fish out the killers of the activist without success, decided to take the laws into their hands by attacking the property, including houses, of those suspected to be behind the killing.

Though the police was said to have arrested about two persons, the community seemed not satisfied with the efforts.

Meanwhile, human rights community in the South East and Nigeria have condemned the killing of Nwosu.

Intersociety, a foremost human right group in the South East, condemned it and outrightly blamed the government for Nwosu’s death.