The Ebonyi State Chairman, All Progressive Congress, APC and Security Consultant for EbubeAgu, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, Monday explained that the State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Publicity Secretary, Chika Nwoba was never abducted by Ebubeagu security outfit as being speculated by some “misinformed” persons in the State.
In a chat with Newsmen in Abakaliki, the APC Chieftain stressed that Chika Nwoba who had issues to answer as regards the propagation of fake news was merely arrested by Ebubeagu and handed over to the Police for further investigation.
“It is really unfortunate. I don’t like joining issues. The law provides that Ebubeagu can arrest and hand over to the Police. They have been seen do that on more than two occasions. This boy called Chika Nwoba has been on the list of those to come and answer for fake News.
“We all know that there’s a law on fake news in the State. Many others are facing similar charges in the State.
“Why would somebody say it is an abduction. Security operatives operate based on intel. And when the information got to them, they said they have seen him. There was an uprising in the location he was. Some say it was an abduction and not abduction.
“While a team of Ebubeagu was on patrol, they saw them. Chika Nwoba was there and he was picked. Knowing that he was a member of an opposition political party, Ebubeagu did their job professionally by arresting him and handing him over to the Police. The investigation on the matter continues.
“If there was no petition against him, he wouldn’t have been arrested but there was a petition already against him and that was why he was arrested.
“Ebubeagu handed him over to the Police. He was not taken to the Government House or any other place. The people they handed over to was a Police team on patrol and not that they (Ebubeagu) took him to the Police Station. The law will take its due cause.
“He will defend himself as to whether he is guilty or not. If there’s enough evidence against him on fake news, he will face the law. This incident happened less than 12 hours and people are already adding to the incident.”
On the allegation by the PDP that the State Government was operating a cell or torture Camp at the old Government House and Ebonyi Hotel, Abakaliki, the Security Consultant noted “You people should work around the Government House and find out if that is true. Find out if there’s anywhere they are holding people. Ebonyi Hotel is where we have so many churches operating therein. How can you be holding people there? The only thing is that the opposition will always talk.”
According to him, propagation of fake news and fake news itself was more dangerous than the activities of unknown gunmen operating within the South East region.
“Fake news and fake information are more dangerous than unknown gunmen because it is the information that you give to them (unknown gunmen) that spark them to do what they are doing. People should get themselves off fake news and information
“So, there was nothing like an abduction. He was duly arrested and handed over to the Police. It didn’t even take up to three minutes. Ebubeagu was professional in their conduct as they operated within the ambit of the law.”
Meanwhile, an eyewitness, Barr Ifeanyi Emmanuel Nworie, the Deputy Chairman of PDP Ebonyi State, stated that the intervention of the police was what made the abductors release the victim.
“I was driving along Abakaliki-Enugu expressway and took a branch to speedway filling station and saw a Siena car drove by one of the abductors (names withheld) who came close to my car and later went back to his branded Siena car and thereafter, I never knew the said Siena car was following us and double-crossed us at water reservoir along with Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway and every effort to bye-pass nor reverse my car proved abortive and thereafter, called his cohorts who came with his dreaded bandits and shot sporadically into the air with their pump-action rifle.
“They beat Chika Nwoba, the publicity Secretary of my party PDP to the point of death and further threw him into the boot of the said Siena car and I quickly called police from Anti kidnapping department of Ebonyi state police headquarters who came and these dreaded bandits refused to release Chika Nwoba to the police and told the police before me that they were instructed by their boss to do same.
“I raised alarm before the police that should if anything happens to Chika Nwoba, they will be held responsible. Police at this juncture threatened to open fire on the said Siena should they move the vehicle where Chika Nwoba had been hidden inside the boot.
“While they were torturing Chika Nwoba, his phone fell down and one of the abductors picked the phone and I requested the phone be given to me and he threatened that if I say it again, they will unleash the demons in them on me.
“The intervention of the police was why Chika Nwoba was brought out from the boot of the Siena bus and till now Chika has been in detention not minding the injury and assault meted out on him.”
Also, the State PDP Chairman, Chief Tochukwu Okorie has called on the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba to order the arrest of all those involved in Nwoba’s torture and manhandling.
“I think they want to make his matter unbailable. I want the world to know about it; Nwoba has done nothing wrong to deserve this type of torture.
“I want the IGP to immediately order the arrest of all those involved in Nwoba’s torture and manhandling. “
