UBANESSE IGBEKE, the man behind the mask
By Chuka Nkem Valentine, Nsugbe
Often times, it is not the one who cries the most that bears the most pain. This is as true as there are skies above in the Ubanesse Igbeke and his kinsmen saga.
Alphonsus Ubanesse Igbeke was supposed to be the light that illuminates the whole of Nsugbe, by virtue of his political achievements, which though questionable are nevertheless his. But sadly, that which should be a blessing, turned out to be a curse and the proverbial fly which rests on the scrotum, and there are no easy ways to get it off without considerable pain.
As is common with people who have things to hide, the erstwhile senator ran to the papers to blackmail and insinuate against his kinsmen, and one would wonder why the senator never bothered to go to his hometown to clear his name, but somehow, went to the papers. One may also wonder too why a man’s kinsmen, who are supposed to be his rock to fall on are seemingly against him. Could it be that Ubanesse Igbeke told things different from the truth?
One needs not to wonder, for the truth is like pregnancy, it could only be hidden for a while, but it eventually comes to light.
Ubanesse Igbeke, a thug, a rapist and a terror in the 1980s, left Nsugbe between 1986 and 1987, to Enugu, after breaking in and stealing from the Abakaliki people who came to Nnadi Nsugbe to find their means of livelihood. To save his life, his Father, called Obi Edward O’Conor of Nnadi village and pleaded with him to allow the young Ubanesse stay with his son Amechi Attah at Abakpa Nike, Enugu.
Ubanesse allegedly left Nsugbe for Enugu with a pistol and on getting there, joined a gang of people whose job was to produce counterfeit money using chemicals. When the business stopped yielding the profit it was used to, he graduated to becoming one who swindles people of their living and obtains by force. In his bid to climb the social ladder, he engaged in false necromancy, armed robbery, stealing, and gun running for various criminal groups, their rendezvous being Silver and Gold Hotel in Enugu. It is said that there is honour among thieves and his desire to outsmart everyone, including his gang members made things hard for him in Enugu and after a while, he left Enugu to go to the North.
Before his adventures in Enugu and Lagos and his senate run, Ubanesse Igbeke dropped out of Ogbunike boys high school after stealing a cow belonging to an Hausa man with his friend, late Edwin Owelle. Consequent upon this, Ubanesse did not finish his formal education. Every certificate of education which he presents, will upon investigation, be found to be fraudulent. Around 1989, he stole a gun from a police man at Enugu, with his accomplice and friend Okey Sheriff and when the repercussions of his actions followed him, he ran to Nsugbe to hide. But One Sam Madueke, upon the request of some detectives from State C.I.D in Enugu took the police to his father’s house at Nnadi Nsugbe where he was hiding and got him arrested.
Ubanesse was a help and driver to One Mr Dillinger where he use to carry his fiancee to work at ABS television located at GRA every morning, that was the reason why Summer Obiudu brought him to the city, but he stole from the man and ran away.
In the north, he and one Sunny engaged in a lot of criminal activities which included gun running, armed robbery, rape and all the vices he could come up with. there was basically no limit to the evil he found ways to associate himself with. He got into trouble for his escapades and was arrested and detained. He was bailed by Barr Hyacinth Nweke upon certain bail conditions, but he jumped bail and fled to Lagos.
In Lagos, around the year 1997, he lived at No. 1, Akpoguma street, off Kilo bus stop, Surulere. His boy on the fax machine was Vitalis from Ebonyi State and Nwabunwanne Egenti was his gate Man. He would come back later with the latter to Nsugbe. He continued his criminal life in lagos, having perfected his art in Enugu and the North. His brainchild ponzi scheme ‘Let’s Partner With You’ MFB rendered a lot of people desolated and swindled honest people of their money running into billions of naira. It was later clamped down by Financial officers in Enugu and he entered into a plea bargain to restore all he had falsely collected. He is yet to do that successfully till date. This was the reason he shamelessly become self appointed Nnadi Nsugbe land committee Chairman, selling their lands in hundred folds.
On his return to Nsugbe, he began to raise a cult of criminals by using his police connections to bail any criminal from police custody, in return for loyalty and servitude to him. He went into several criminal and indecent means of making money just to maintain his Ego of which he is the brain behind some hineous crime around the state.
He also hides instruments which are used in all the illegal activities happening around the community in his uncompleted building at Nsugbe. Any decent investigation will confirm this, and the presence of a local shrine behind his generator power house where he initiates people who intend to work for him to swear and oath of allegiance and a promise to not disclose the things they see or hear.
Perhaps, the long arm of Karma has visited him, perhaps he is cursed by the very land which he has defiled on several occasions, or perhaps it is just mere coincidence, that his family is dysfunctional.
Ubanesse has a lot question marks to his name and income. For example, in the year 2000, he was accused by his own people of having a hand in the disappearance and ritual killing of 8 children, the youngest of them being under 10 years old. A lot will be revealed about the senator in due time, but here is a glimpse at the enigma, the phenomenon, the criminal and the masquerade of the man called senator Ubanesse Igbeke. Here is a look at the man behind the mask.