There is palpable tension in Onicha-Igboeze and Ugwulangwu communities in Onicha and Ohaozara Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State right now.
9News Nigeria had reported that the alleged abduction of a two-term former Federal Lawmaker, Rt. Hon. Linus Okorie by operatives suspected to be from the State para security outfit, Ebubeagu.
The incident was reported to have occured at about 11: 00 a.m along the popular Ogoja Road soon after Okorie reportedly left a hotel in Abakaliki in preparations for a meeting with stakeholders of Onicha community resident in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
A source close to the family who gave her identity as Miss Nnennaya Nwogo told newsmen in a telephone conversation yesterday evening that all efforts to establish contact with his abductors who she claimed their identities were revealed as Ebubeagu militia operatives working for the Onicha Local Government Chairman, Agwu Ogbonnaya, popularly known as ‘Obosi’ was unsuccessful.
“His phone’s location first showed he was somewhere around Ebunwana Edda in Afikpo South LGA, probably in a forest where he was seriously manhandled by the Obosi boys.
When we checked again in the evening (last night) the location showed he was now somewhere around Uburu- Governor Umahi’s hometown in Ohaozara LGA. This morning, his car has just been seen at the State Police Command Headquarters, Abakaliki”, she narrated.
Nwogo said the family members have been restless since yesterday when the information filtered in.
Meantime, there’s an ongoing protests by women and youths in the area who barricaded all roads leading in and out of Onicha community.
They bore placards such as, “No movement until we see Hon. Linus, Onicha will be too hot for everybody,” they chanted in a video at one of the barricades.
A statement by one Dr David Ogbonna on behalf of Linus’ Caring Heart Campaign Organisation had claimed he was kidnapped on Sunday morning on his way to his house in Abakaliki by gunmen suspected to be men of the Ebubeagu Security outfit.
But the Sector Commander of Ebubeagu, Mr. Friday Ujor, debunked the allegation.
