Police Spread Dragnet For Ozekhome’s Kidnappers

The Edo State Police Command has spread its dragnet to track down kidnappers of Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN.

Ozekhome and three others were violently taken hostage last Friday afternoon by unidentified gunmen who also killed four policemen during the incident.

Police detectives have been drafted to many parts of Edo and neighboring Ondo and Delta states to rescue Ozekhome from his abductors.

The state Police Commissioner, Foluso Adebanjo, who disclosed this in Benin, vowed that Ozekhome, who was abducted with his driver and two other persons at Ehor, on the Benin-Auchi expressway, would be released unhurt.

Adebanjo, who declined comment on their strategy, said: “this is a security matter but we will ensure that they are freed unhurt.”

Also, the whereabouts of a stalwart of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, Mr Athanasius Ugbome, remained unknown to members of his family and political associates, raising concerns that he might have been kidnapped by the same gang of suspected kidnappers who abducted Ozekhome.

It was learnt that Ugbome’s car was found a few metres ahead of that of Ozekhome’s when the latter and his driver were kidnapped on Friday.

Meanwhile, condemnations have have started to trail the abduction of the eminent lawyer. The Afemai Youth Coalition (AYC), a socio-cultural organisation, regretted that Ozekhome was kidnapped while on his way home to Afemai land, despite the fact that he “has struggled over the years for good governance, equality, justice, and accountability in governance.”

The youth group extended their condolence to the families of the four police officers who lost their lives while trying to rescue Ozekhome, calling on the Federal Government to immortalize them as well as take over the education and welfare of their immediate family members.

Also reacting to the incident, the Raymond Dokpesi Centre for Media Development, appealed to the abductors of Ozekhome to set him free due to what they described as his humanitarian services in the legal profession.

The Director General of the Centre, Mr Chris Ebuetse, called on Nigerians to join hands together so as to ensure that the human rights lawyer regains freedom.

“Apart from being an indigene of Edo State, Ozekhome has trasversed the country, advocating for good governance, issues of national development and peace. To this end, we condemn, in all ramifications, kidnapping in Nigeria and urge Edo people to assist in ensuring the release of Chief Ozekhome,” Ebuetse stated.

The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJon its part, desribed the abduction of Chief Ozekhome as a threat to peace, development and human rights struggle in the country

ANEEJ in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Reverend David Ugolor, said it was sad that those who over the years have risked their lives even to agitate and advocate for a better Nigeria are now victims of kidnapping.

“People who engaged in the act of kidnapping should no longer be treated as kidnappers but as terrorists because they have shown that they are enemies of the state bent on inflicting pains on the average people and the very poor, and as well as to discourage the likes of Mike Ozekhome from being the voice of the voiceless in the society,” ANEEJ said.

The group, however, appealed to human rights activists in the country to remain undeterred in their task and see the present situation as a challenge that must be brought to an end.

—Jethro Ibileke/Benin