Stripped Workers: Urhobo Youths Demand Gbagi's Arrest, Prosecution

Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi

Youth Wing of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, has lashed out at former Minister of State for Education, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi over allegations of stripping four of his workers at Signatious hotel, calling on the Inspector General of police to expedite action in his immediate arrest and prosecution.

Recall that four workers (one male and three females) of a hotel owned by Gbagi, were stripped allegedly on the instance of the former Minister and recorded in a video that have gone viral in the social media over allegations of theft of N5000.

But Gbagi denied the allegation during a press conference, weekend, saying it was the handiwork of those being threatened by his 2023 governorship ambition.

Addressing newsmen, President of the youth wing of the UPU, Comrade Efemena Umukoro described Gbagi’s action as barbaric and uncivilized, saying “as an ethnic group, we condemn the act in all its totality.”

Saying that the dignity of the girl child is paramount to UPU, he said Gbagi “Is giving Urhobo people a bad name. Urhobo people are known to be hospitable and peace-loving. He must be arrested and persecuted because he cannot be above the law. We are saying that justice must be done.

“it should be placed on record that the police from Ebrumede police station were not involved in the stripping of the workers.” He alleged that it was the police in the Special Protection unit attached to Gbagi that “supervised the illegality” after a phone was given to a 15-year-old boy to video the victims.

“The Ebrumede police came a day after to make a normal arrest to investigate a complaint that was lodged. They were not informed of the stripping.”

Also speaking, the President of the UPU youth wing (Emete), Emuobor Ighovoja said “Gbagi never acted like an Urhobo man. No Urhobo father will behave like that. His action is totally unbelievable.

“It is the dignity of women that is at stake here. We shall take legal steps on behalf of Okiemute who is an Urhobo because it is our responsibility to do that.”

On her part, the Financial Secretary of the Emete, Kevwe Ogwu said: “the traumatic experience that the girls are going through is not what we will joke with. The photos have gone viral so we will think of what we can do to rehabilitate the girls and put them back into society.”