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How Ebonyi Gov't Loyalists Crippled Me, Almost Buried Me Alive In Shallow Grave - Ex-Aide, Ogbonna Alleges

Posted by Samuel on Sun 16th May, 2021 - tori.ng

Amos, a former Development Centre coordinator in Ebonyi State, said he was relieved of his duty in the wake of the END SARS protest.

 Barr. Amos Ogbonnaya

Barr. Amos Ogbonnaya, a former Government official in Ebonyi State, has alleged that agents of the State Government abducted him and were about to bury him in a shallow grave until fate intervened, according to Daily Post.

Amos, a former Development Centre coordinator in Ebonyi State, said he was relieved of his duty in the wake of the END SARS protest.

From his hospital bed, he gave journalists details of a gruesome experience that would now confine him to sick-bed for months to come.

The ex-government official, who has his two legs shattered, battled tears as he narrated what transpired on the ill-fated day.

He claimed his problem started after he was sacked by the Governor for not mobilizing a rival group to counter the END SARS protest last year.

According to him, he thereafter joined G-65, a group of former aides who are battling to recover their unpaid entitlements.

The lawyer said his problems worsened after they made a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and he followed it up with a recent appearance at an AIT programme, an action he said was termed “insult on the Governor.”

He alleged that he was abducted by persons well known to him and who were working for the Governor.

He said prior to the attack on him, a communique was issued after a meeting between the Governor and the people of Oha na Ivo, declaring that those of them criticizing the Governor would be turned to ancestors, while those that would survive would be called Ebonyi indigenes.

“On that fateful day, I had attended a meeting in my community, and when we finished, I was on my way when a Hilux van double crossed me, I came out wanted to run but they seized me. I know all of them. I shouted severally at least to attract the attention of residents. The people wanted to come and rescue me, but one of my abductors, the one from my community, was shooting repeatedly, so help could not come. They succeeded in pushing me into the Hilux van,” he narrated.

He said they immediately tore his trousers and blindfolded him with it, adding that “my close shave with death started from there.”

The politician said he was driven from one place to another until they landed in a bush and they removed the blindfold.

“At that point, I requested that I be allowed to say my last prayers. I asked them what my offence was, they said I was insulting the governor.

“They used a razor blade to scrape my hair. They said I should jump into the graze. I said I should be allowed to say my last prayer. They said ‘Ok, I should say my last prayer.’ I said Oh God, I want you to forgive me wherever I have done wrong, because I have never abused the Governor, all I am asking for is my legitimate entitlements. The governor cannot even call us to say to my people, don’t worry I will pay this and this, leave the other one. Is this the grave where I am going to be buried? How would my people know how I ended?

“Then I said God, these boys that are holding me hostage, I mentioned their names, he should forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing. If they know what they are doing, they will know that they are facing the same problem we are facing in Ebonyi State.

“One last thing God, protect my children, I don’t want them to suffer, move my cousins to send them to school, my father spent all to send me to school.”

He said, “at that point God intervened. One of them asked me do you have how many children? I said four boys, he said how many are you in the family? I said I am the only son. He now talked to one of them, he said they should not kill me, he is the only son, his children will suffer, they are still tender, that what they will do now is to injure me, they will finish my legs so that I will not be able to walk again. That was when they told me to lie down, that was when they finished these legs, they continued until they were satisfied the bones were crushed.”

He said from there he was again blindfolded and dumped at an unknown location from where he was rescued the following day.

Also, addressing journalists in Enugu on the development, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barr. Silas Joseph Onu urged the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to call Governor David Umahi of the State to order.

He equally claimed that the commissioner of Police in the State was doing the bidding of the Governor to the detriment of the citizens of the State.

“Whoever criticizes the Governor is seen to be making insults on the Governor and the person must be crushed, that’s the situation in Ebonyi and the police is not helping matters, even if you report to them, nothing is done to investigate your claims.

The current CP is not living up to expectations unlike the former one. He should be removed for the sake of safety and security of Ebonyi people,” the PDP spokesman further claimed.

However, reacting to the allegations, the Ebonyi State Government said the claims by Amos were tissues of falsehood and irresponsible.

The Government’s reaction came from the commissioner for information, Hon. Uchenna Orji.

He told the media that, “all the allegations such as it is, is tantamount to a complete fabrication, absolutely irresponsible, without foundation and cleverly wobbled to blackmail Ebonyi State Government.

“Amos Ogbonna as he called himself was a coordinator who was relieved of his duties even before the 2019 election for want of performance alongside a few coordinators. They are working under the conduit established by the PDP, duly funded and of course funds voted for him to go round media houses to blackmail Ebonyi State Government.

“Fortunately, his mission has hit the rocks, because the truth is clear, our performing Governor is a man of principle whose vision and mission when he came on board is really what is bringing the transformation we are experiencing.

“So, his allegations that he was kidnapped, funny enough he is a lawyer, we have made our position known in a statement signed by my humble self. His Co travellers, his co political travellers, we assure them that the Ebonyi State Government is undaunted to ensure the safety and security of our people.”



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