Rumuigbo Community Protests Alleged Abduction Of 2 Youth Leaders
...Points Accusing Finger At Tony Okocha ...Okocha: Those I Defeated Politically, Maligning Me
Rumuigbo people of Obio Akpor LGA on Thursday 9th November protested the alleged abduction of their Youth leaders in Abuja after honouring invitation of the Inspector General of Police, IGP.
Addressing newsmen after the protest, Eze Professor Reginald Amadi, Eze Epara Ekinigbo said the abducted persons: Bobby Ezekiel, President-General Ekinigbo Youth Council and Chamberlain Owhonda, President Nkpolu Youth were picked up outside the gates of the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja after honouring the invitation of the IGP.
Amadi who said the invitation was based on a petition some people in the community sent to the IGP concerning a Chieftaincy dispute in the area, alleged that one of the people working for Tony Okocha pointed the youth leaders to two armed men in mufti who allegedly abducted them in a Gestapo-like operation.
The two abducted leaders, Eze Amadi told newsmen, were among a delegation invited to the Force Headquarters to answer to a petition against them over chieftaincy disagreement.
Also speaking, Joy Serima Didia, wife of one of the abducted leaders, Bobby Ezekiel, repeatedly accused Okocha of being responsible for the alleged kidnap of her husband and appealed to the former Chief of Staff to bring him back.
Hear her: “Tony Okocha, please bring my husband back. Everybody knows that you are the person who kidnapped him. Bring him back for me, please.”
Denying the allegation, Tony Okocha said those behind it were people he defeated their masters politically in the community. He said if they were sure of what they were alleging, they should have reported the matter to the Security Agencies who had the responsibility to investigate issues bordering on abduction and kidnap, instead of maligning and tarnishing his reputation with baseless allegations.
Okocha who said he was not in Abuja when the so called abduction was carried out, rationalized that the two boys were arrested on the strength of a petition some community people sent to the IGP.
On another allegation that each time he was given political appointment, he had always used it to orchestrate crises in the community, the Rivers State Representative at the NDDC Board said rather than foment crises, he had used such positions to bring developments to the community, citing the ultra modern Rumuigbo Civic Center which he built when he was Chief of Staff, an internal road that leads to his house which he constructed with his personal money and the empowerment of many youths of the area.
Stressing that his peaceful disposition should not be taken as weakness, Okocha warned Professor Reginald Amadi and others behind the allegation to apologize to him publically within 14 days, or have charges pressed against them at the court of law.
