Man abducted by NSCDC operatives in Ebonyi due to land dispute

In relation to a property dispute, an alleged case of kidnapping was reported on Friday night in Amaedim Ngwogwo Community in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area, Ebonyi State.

Orji Ogbonna, the victim, was purportedly taken away by members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), with his face covered as everyone around the scene was put in a state of fear.

At around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Orji, the hamlet chairman and businessman, was taken suspiciously away from his shop in Amaedim Ngwogwo Ishiagu, Ivo LGA, by a group of NSCDC officers under the command of one Innocent Igwe, also known as Iwuchukwu.

The victim may still be in the care of the NSCDC Headquarters in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State, according to information obtained by Obasanjonews.com.

Onyekachi Orji, the victim’s wife, who is reportedly nine months pregnant and ready to give birth, started crying as she described her experience with her husband’s detention.

She demanded that the NSCDC Commandant-General summon the State Commandant to order for engaging in behaviour that could incite public disorder.

She also pleaded with the Commandant-General to immediately use his disciplinary authority against the aforementioned Innocent Igwe, who had used his membership in the Civil Defence Corps to kidnap a person without authorization.

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“I found what transpired to be unexpected. It was only yesterday when my spouse was taken away. The people who did it, in my opinion, are from Civil Defence. They covered him with a mask, loaded him into their car, and left.

“My husband’s kidnapping has been giving me anxiety and unexplained symptoms. He should not be harmed in any way. He’s supposed to accompany me to the hospital as I near my delivery date,” the victim’s wife stated.

In an interview with Obasanjonews.com, the team’s commander, Innocent Igwe, stated that the suspect was taken into custody due to his suspected involvement in undermining the community’s decision-making process about the allocation of the contested land.

Igwe, who verified the arrest, claimed that the victim was brought to the NSCDC headquarters in Abakaliki to be questioned over land-related issues that affected his village.

He refuted the assertion that Orji Ogbonna’s incident was the result of kidnapping, stating that the suspect was detained because he also questioned the government’s White Paper on the subject.

He stated: “I was with Civil Defence agents when Orji Ogbonna was taken into custody. Because the suspect would not abide by government orders regarding the settlement of land-related issues impacting my community, he was taken into custody.

Since there is a White Paper on the subject, we wanted him to be aware that the government is in charge. He was inquiring as to whose government had detained him. This is the result of the Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution’s directive.

Obasanjonews.com’s investigation, however, showed that neither Mr. Ilang Donatus, the Commissioner for Border, Peace, and Conflict Resolution, nor his office ever gave the order for Orji Ogbonna to be arrested by the NSCDC, nor did they issue a White Paper about the aforementioned property dispute.

A government white paper is a reputable report or manual that frequently discusses problems and suggests solutions.

When contacted by text regarding the event, Mr. Willie Bassey, the State Commandant of the NSCDC, wrote: “Good afternoon, my brother.” To obtain the whole update, please visit the office. The suspect was the subject of a report, he was arrested, and an investigation is still underway.

The State Commandant was in a better position to discuss the case, according to the IPO overseeing the case, Mr. Ilo Chinweuba, who earlier stated that he was unable to inform press on the situation.

The Ivo Divisional Officer overseeing NSCDC, who was also phoned, declined to comment on the situation, merely acknowledging her position before hanging up.