Armed gunmen have abducted Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, a prominent Igbo youth leader and President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC).
The abduction took place last Saturday evening at a hotel in the Works Layout area of Owerri, shortly after an election of the youth council.
Eyewitnesses described the attack as a dramatic and well-coordinated operation. One witness recounted, “The gunmen, dressed in uniforms, drove into the hotel and forcefully dragged Igboayaka into their vehicle. They sped off to an unknown destination. A few hours later, they returned and towed his car to an undisclosed location.”
The witness added that the incident occurred around 7:30 pm, and since then, no contact has been made by the abductors. “We tried to identify them, but they appeared too intimidating. We are praying for his safety,” the source said.
Reacting to the incident, the Igbo National Council (INC), led by Chilos Godsent, condemned the abduction in a strongly worded statement.
“On Saturday, 8th February 2025, at about 7:00 pm, we received the sad news that gunmen, dressed in black and numbering up to seven, arrived in a Sienna and a Lexus SUV and forcefully abducted Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka in a Gestapo-style operation at Works Layout, Owerri.”
The INC expressed concern that since the abduction, all efforts by family, friends, and members of the Ohanaeze Youth Council to reach Igboayaka had failed, as his phone lines were switched off immediately after the incident.
Godsent urged the Imo State Police Command to take immediate action, identify the perpetrators, and make their findings public.
“We call on the Nigerian Police Force, Imo State Command, to immediately swing into action to identify the gunmen and make their findings public,” the statement read.
As of the time of filing this report, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, had not responded to inquiries regarding the incident. Meanwhile, the incident has caused widespread concern, with many calling for urgent action to secure the safe return of the abducted youth leader.
More details to follow as the situation develops.
