A newly formed group, Ebonyi Media Forum has raised its voice against the abduction and subsequent torture of a former Coordinator of Anuagata Development Centre in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the State, Amos Ogbonnaya by some yet-to-be-identified persons.
Though the kidnap victim accused the state government of having hands in his abduction according to the recent interview he granted from his hospital bed, the Ebonyi media forum can not subscribe to his allegations until proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
In a statement jointly signed by its Director-General, Chris Ogba and Publicity Secretary, Charles Otu, the group said it has taken time to understudy the issues surrounding the ugly development and can not state clearly who is behind it yet as security agents are making frantic efforts to unravel the mystery behind it.
We urge the state government with other federal security agents to expedite action in getting those behind this eyesore to book as this will go a long way in proving the statement credited to the victim wrong.
We, as an unbiased apolitical body can not take sides until we lay hands on a shred of substantial evidence that can prove our stand”, the statement read.
The group, therefore, called on the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali, the State’s Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Garba and other security formations in the State to fish out the perpetrators within 72 hours and ensure they are brought to justice.
“Ebonyi is already witnessing a lot of security challenges and we feel as a group that the quest for the return of absolute peace which the State has enjoyed in the past is for the interest of both the ruling and opposition parties in our dear State. It is our thinking just like those of reasonable Ebonyians that no citizen in this era of democracy should therefore face such damning threats, attacks or humiliation as a law-abiding citizen”, the group posited.
“While we commend the Governor for condemning this action in a press statement released by his SA on Media and Publicity, we call on them to assist the security agencies to do their job in ensuring that justice is not only done for the victim but seen to have been done without any form of interference or hindrance from extraneous forces. We believe this will make our democracy healthier and better because some quarters are already of the opinion that opposition is being witch-hunt by the ruling party.
We believe that opposition is the oil that greases any democratic system and sets the ruling Party or structure in its right stead”, the statement concluded.
