Former chairman, Isoko South local government area, Delta state, Mr. Askia Ogieh, House of Assembly member representing Isoko South constituency 11, Mr. Johnson Erijo and Mr. Sam Ogrih, commissioner, Delta state House of Assembly service commission are alleged to have been currently running from pillars to posts over their alleged involvement in a stage managed kidnap scam at Uzere kingdom of Isoko South council.
Meanwhile palpable fear is said to have gripped the oil rich Uzere community over what is been suspected to be an alleged stage managed kidnap involving the three PDP members that occurred in the community at about 7 am on Sunday, August, 28, 2011. The victim, septuagenarian, Pa. Akpebe Ogrih, father of one Mr. Sam Ogrih, commissioner, Delta state House of Assembly service commission who was on his way to church on that fateful morning.
It was gathered that a gang of four unidentified gun men stormed the kingdom with Audi 80 car and allegedly seized the septuagenarian, this the entire community have suspected that the moves was stage managed and political and a ploy to robe in an illustrious indigene of the kingdom and former chairman of the council, Chief Iduh Amadhe to frustrate him from prosecuting his petition at the state election petition tribunal.
Chief Amadhe, Labour Party House of Assembly candidate for Isoko South constituency 11 in the just concluded general elections is challenging the election of Mr. Johnson Erijo of PDP, representing the constituency in the state house of Assembly and recently the election tribunal struck out the application of Mr. Erijo urging the tribunal to strike out the Labour Party petition.
It was however gathered that having perceived that the PDP lawmaker may lost the case at the tribunal; they had no option than to frame up the Labour Party candidate and consequently abandon his petition against the PDP lawmaker at the tribunal.
Investigations revealed that in abid to cover their tracks, the alleged actors in the game, Mr. Askia Ogieh, former chairman of the council, Mr. Johnson Erijo, Delta state house of Assembly member, and Mr. Sam Ogrih commissioner, Delta state House of Assembly service commission did not report the purported kidnap of his father to the security agents in the local government area neither was it reported at Asaba, the state capital. It was also alleged that the septuagenarian was whisked away by persons suspected to be working under the instructions of the actors in the game to an unknown destination where he was been taking good care of and a picture kidnap was painted.
As a way to hatchet their plans, the actors in the saga on Sunday, 4th, September 2011 sponsored some security agents with the intention of arresting the Labour Party candidate in connection to the kidnap but on arrival he was not at home and a driver to the wife of the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Henry Akintola Adanoje was arrested and taken to unknown destination.
Furious by the action, the community women, youths and children at about 8am this morning stage a mass protest round the community issuing an ultimatum and calling on the community leadership to as a matter of urgent and for peace order the security agents to return back their arrested son and as well leave their illustrious son, Chief Iduh Amadhe out of the stage managed kidnap saga or face the wrath of the entire community.
However news filtered into town on Friday, 2nd, September, 2011 that the kidnapped Pa. Ogrih has been found without disclosing how, where and when he was released as well as those who negotiated for his released and how much that was paid for his freedom as its always done in kidnap cases.
In petition titled “Plot to eliminate High Chief Iduh Amadhe, members of his family and associates by Chief Askia Ogieh, Prince Johnson Erijo, Mr. Sam Ogrih and their cohorts”addressed to the state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police, zone 5, Benin city, DG, SSS, Director, SSS, Delta state, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Delta state, amongst other relevant government agencies, signed by Barrister Anthony Sawyer, counsel to Chief Iduh Amadhe and made available to the press reads thus “We act for High Chief Iduh Amadhe and write this petition on his behalf and express instruction and shall hereinafter refer to him as our client. The sad facts forming the basis of this petition is that there exist a grand design hatched by the trio of Chief Askia Ogieh, Prince Johnson Erijo and Mr. Sam Ogrih who truly masterminded the manifold rigging of the house of Assembly election in Isoko South constituency 11 which culminated in the election petition filed by our client and which is presently pending at the election petition tribunal in Asaba. We are made to understand that part of the plot was to take Pa Akpebe Ogrih into hiding and feign a kidnap case and then go to town to broadcast the name of our client, his family members and political associates as the masterminds and then turn round to either permanently lock them out of circulation or send hired assassins and mob to eliminate our client, members of his family and political associates. Interestly, on Sunday, August, 28th, 2011 in their bid to match action to words, they took Pa Akpebe Ogrih into hiding and dispatched one Mr. Ebri Fredrick, Nenene Ogrih, Odomero Ukpeba and Elizabeth Ebri to move round Uzere town in Isoko South local government area to falsely publish the name of our client and members of the Labour Party as being the kidnappers of Pa Ogrih. Curiously and contrary to common sense and logic, the purported kidnap and release of Pa Ogrih was not incidented with the police and SSS authorities at Oleh thus clearly affirming the fact that the purported kidnap was a complete ruse and orchestrated for the purpose of instigating mob/assassins to eliminate our client, his family members and political associates or in their plot, getting security agencies to lock our client permanently out of circulation and ultimately defeat the election petition filed by our client at the Election Tribunal in Asaba. Although our client had soon after the incident of August 28, 2011 reported the matter at Oleh divisional police station, as well as petitioned the office of the Assistant Inspector General of police, zone 5, Benin-city to abreast them with these developments, these felons and their co-conspirators, nevertheless, stormed our client’s residence at Uzere in Isoko South local government area on Sunday, September, 4th, 2011 and abducted his wife’s driver, Mr. Henry Akintola Adanoje to an unknown location. Clearly, their initial plot as we later understood it was to abduct our client, but being that our client was not at home at the material time; his wife’s driver was abducted in his stead. Sir, though we do not pretend to know the motive of the abductors, but a check at Oleh Divisional Police Station and the office of SSS at Oleh shows that police authorities thereat, were not privy or aware of any operation of any security agencies in Uzere on Sunday, September, 4th, 2011 when this operation was carried out thus alluding to the fact that the motive behind the operation was indeed sinister. Sir, in view of the sensitive nature of this case and the unfolding criminal plots of Messrs Askia Ogieh, Johnson Erijo and Sam Ogrih with clear intention of eliminating our client, members of his household and political associates, we are constrained to petition your office to alert you about these plots that you may urgently take steps to nip these plot in the bud as well as initiate a high powered investigation into this matter with a view to ascertaining the truth and unmasking these villains and their co-conspirators. We would further request that you swiftly arrest these felons and their co-conspirators with a view to initiating criminal prosecution, to serve as deterrent to others.” The petition stated.
Reports has it that attempt to arrest Chief Iduh Amadhe at his hotel room in Asaba by security agents probably working on the instruction of the trio actors in the kidnap saga failed as he was said not to be in when the security agents arrived.
All calls put across to the mobile lines of the trio actors in the kidnap saga were not answered while SMS sent into their lines were ignored too.
