Is it real that the LP’s Hon Linus Abaa Okorie was taken hostage in Ebonyi state? Let’s see Did Dave Umahi kidnap Linus Abaa Okorie in detail
According to reports, gunmen have abducted Linus Abaa Okorie, a former representative for the House of Representatives ‘Ohanivo Federal Constituency, in Ebonyi State.
Dr. David Ogbonna, Okorie’s media assistant, stated in a statement that Okorie was kidnapped on Sunday while he was traveling to his residence in Abakaliki, the state capital of Ebonyi.
Okorie, according to Ogbonna, was kidnapped and tortured on a road on Sunday morning by Ebubeagu of the Okuru Ochchi nicha region.
The message read,
“Linus Abaa Okorie was abducted on the horse’s path in the morning while he was traveling to his home in Abakaliki by the Ebubeeg guards, who were appointed by the president of the Onicha government.”
Okorie is standing for the position of senator in the Nigerian Senate to represent Ebonyi-South, which is the district of the state’s governor, Dave Umahi, who is seeking re-election to a second term in office beginning in 2023.
As a result, some claimed that Governor Umahi was punishing people who disobeyed him in the state by utilizing Ebubeagu’s bodyguards.
This is a wife of the labour party senatorial candidate Linus Abaa Okorie who was kidnapped yesterday crying out for help and accusing @DaveUmahi of being behind the act.@Morris_Monye @AbdulMahmud01 @AishaYesufu @FS_Yusuf_ @firstladyship @Jack_ng01 @doyinokupe @NgLabour pic.twitter.com/2RxLY0CeDu
— Enugu Voices (@EnuguVoices) October 17, 2022
Lilian Okorie, Linus Okorie’s wife, wrote in a post on Facebook that she had learned that her husband had been taken into custody with Ebubegha.
Chuks Okoh, the governor’s press secretary, asserted that he was not in Umahi’s control. He claimed that, following the state police, Okorie is being detained for having broken the law in the past.
What response did the police give on Linus Abaa Okorie’s kidnap?
Okorie is purportedly in their custody for “instigating riots in Onicha that killed seven people, and that he was not abducted by thieves,” according to the Ebonyi State Police.
According to a message from state police spokesperson Chris Anyanwu and state commissioner of police Aliyu Garba, “Hohaa!
No one has taken Linus Abaa Okorie into custody. It was translated as “the power to detain someone, leaving it in the hands of the police. The law of the state gives them the right to do so.”
When the Ebonyi police learned of the robbery, they immediately hurried to the scene and discovered Okorie, who had previously eluded capture, at the Ebubegha headquarters at the Old Government House on Tuesday, October 16, 2022.
In the riots, seven persons were killed. The police added that they had received a complaint alleging that Okorie was spreading untrue information about Governor Dave Umahi. Claiming that Umahi was using state funds to withdraw the sum of 6.7 billion Naira that he allegedly invested in the Court of Appeal case challenging his removal from office. The police investigative unit, which was looking for Okorie as the state attorney general, was looking for Okorie.
They said that Okorie’s employees are involved in the selling of illegal substances and that they overheard Okorie at the hotel he runs, the City Hub Inn, at Mile 50 in Abakaliki. They also accused Okorie of being a drug trafficker.
Did Dave Umahi kidnap Linus Abaa Okorie?
Earlier, Medico Topics reported the kidnapping of the former lawmaker who is running against the incumbent governor, David Umahi, for the Ebonyi South senatorial seat (APC).
His widow accused the Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, and the Ebubeagu security group of being responsible for her husband’s disappearance in a video that was shared on Twitter and viewed by SaharaReporters on Monday.
Okorie was kidnapped on Sunday in the state capital of Abakaliki, and it is still unknown where he is today. Family members claim that the police on Sunday denied any involvement in Okorie’s disappearance.
In a surprising turn of events, the police announced on Monday morning that they had arrested the former congressman for drug-related offenses and other crimes.
According to a statement by the Command’s spokesman, SP Chris Anyanwu. Contrary to reports attributed to one Dr. David Ogbonna of the Hon. Linus Okorie Caringheart Foundation claiming that Okorie was abducted on Sunday, the men of the Command swung into action and later found the former lawmaker at the headquarters of the Ebube Agu Security Outfit at Old Government House in Abakaliki.
Anyanwu claimed that the former lawmaker had previously turned down numerous police requests and avoided arrest.
He claimed that when the police arrived at the office of Ebube Agu, they were informed of the circumstances surrounding Okorie’s detention, including his actions and statements that are thought to have incited and sparked the violence that erupted in the state’s Onicha local government area.
He said that according to the brief by operatives of Ebube Agu, his utterances allegedly led suspected operatives of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its militant arm. Also, Eastern Security Network (ESN) or unknown gunmen unleashed mayhem in the area, leaving seven persons dead at the end of the fracas.
Linus Abaa Okorie detained for Drug-related offense
Anyanwu stated: The case has now been given to the state police command for preliminary investigation.
And he added that Okorie had been invited by the command’s Security and Intelligence Bureau on numerous occasions due to a petition from the state’s attorney general/commissioner for justice dated March 23, 2022.
According to him, the petition claimed, among other things, that Okorie was disseminating untrue information about Governor Umahi and had fraudulently withdrawn N6.7 billion from the state government’s account to pay for the Appeal Court judgment that upheld the governor’s departure from office.
“Similar to the aforementioned, he has made many erroneous accusations against the Ebonyi State government and the police command on his social media accounts.
“When asked by the SIB to report for a talk over the fake allegations/petition, Honourable Linus Abaa Okorie objected strongly in his customary haughty style. Instead, he decided to bring false lawsuits against the Police Command.
The statement partially read, “It is also pertinent to mention that Honourable Linus Abaa Okorie also has a pending case in which he is implicated in a drug-related offense where the suspects allegedly acting as his agents were arrested for selling and using hard drugs at his City Hub Inn, Mile 50, Abakaliki.”
He said that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) later took the case on for additional processing.
The statement said, “CP Aliyu Garba, therefore, makes it unequivocally plain that Hon Okorie was neither abducted nor kidnapped and issues a warning to people to refrain from portraying the State as being unstable by spreading untrue rumors.
“Since Ebube Agu was duly created by the House of Assembly and Government of Ebonyi State, any arrests made by the organization by its legal authority should not be construed as kidnapping or abduction.
This is because such phrases have various meanings. However, it is expected that after making such an arrest, the outfit will turn the case over to the Police for additional investigation and other necessary procedures, as they did in this case.”
In the statement, it is stated that the commissioner warned Ogbonna of the Linus Okorie Caring Heart Foundation that if he chooses the wrong language again when providing information to the general public, he will suffer the repercussions.
According to him, the petition claimed, among other things, that Okorie was disseminating untrue information about Governor Umahi and had fraudulently withdrawn N6.7 billion from the state government’s account to pay for the Appeal Court judgment that upheld the governor’s departure from office.
LP demands that Okorie, an Ebonyi senatorial contender, be released immediately.
The Labour Party (LP) has asked for the immediate and unconditional release of its senatorial candidate in Ebonyi South, Linus Okorie who was kidnapped on Sunday, in the State.
In a statement on Monday, the party’s National President, Julius Abure, alleged that Okorie was kidnapped on his way to his house, by the personnel of the South East Vigilante outfit, Ebubeagu.
According to Abure, “It is no longer news that some political actors in some South Eastern states particularly, Ebonyi and Enugu have vowed that Labour Party and its candidates will not be allowed to campaign freely in the zone.
“This is evident with incessant attacks on members and supporters of the Labour Party and that of our other candidates.
This night attack is viewed by the party as a furtherance of the determination of these political hirelings to frustrate the progressive incursion of the party across the nation and particularly in the South East.
“I, therefore, call on the Ebonyi state governor, His Excellency, Dave Umahi, and the hierarchy of the security agencies particularly, the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State to immediately effect the release of our senatorial prospect, Hon Linus Okorie.
The party’s chairman warned that the frequent attack and kidnappings of innocent Nigerians, particularly the political class could have major consequences in the coming general election.
“This is quite unfortunate and it is not good for democracy. We see it as a threat to our democracy and it should not be allowed to progress or be institutionalized.
“I want to recall what happened to our party in Anambra State last year when our governorship candidate, Hon. Agbasimalo was kidnapped at the heart of the campaign and as I speak, nothing has been heard about him. Sadly, this is happening again.
“We, therefore, call on the Inspector General of Police and other agencies responsible for the protection of life and property to rise to the occasion and ensure that Hon Linus Okorie is released.
“As alleged, the Ebubeagu Vigilante security in Ebonyi State is under the strict overlordship of the state authority and is known to carry out orders of the state government, deploying brute force on the people and residents of the state. We, therefore, demand that His Excellency, Governor Dave Umahi must rein in this Vigilante or any other of the government agents to ensure that intimidation of perceived political opponents ceases and that the political rights of every Nigerian as enshrined in the constitution are respected.
“Finally, we urge the government to give directive for Hon Linus Okorie’s unconditional release from these criminal elements.” He added.
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Lavanya (Senior Editor) is a full-time content writer with almost 5 years of experience and a part-time teacher. She joined Medico Topics on the Breaking News trainee scheme in 2022 and now works on MedicoTopics.com. As a lifelong learner, She is constantly curious about learning new things and passionate about sharing knowledge with people through her writing and teaching.
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