LGA PDP congress: Delta Federal Lawmaker, Ossai on the run over alleged kidnapping

By: Our Reporter, Delta state

The member representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal constituency of Delta state in the  Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai is said to  be currently on the run over his alleged involvement in the kidnapping  of one Barrister Greg Ikoko.

According to State Security Service (SSS) impeccable  sources who confided in this reporter, the lawmaker had on Saturday,  March, 3, 2012, conspired with some of his thugs namely, Frank Omosor,  Israel Ezegbor, Chuks Okosa and Frank Okwudili to kidnap the said  Barrister Greg Ikoko who was the returning officer of the congress in  the council.

Investigations revealed that shortly after the news filtered into the ears of Hon.  Ossai.N.Ossai that he was been searched for by the SSS in the state, he  immediately disposed off his MTN line which he was known with for the  past ten years. It was also observed that for fear of any possible  arrest, the lawmaker shunned the recent Delta state PDP congress held in Asaba.

It would be recalled that men of the Nigerian Army, 3^rd battalion Effurun, Delta state had arrested the four alleged kidnappers at Asaba  and were paraded at the three battalion Headquarters, Effurun, Uvwie  local government area of the state .Speaker to newsmen, the victim,  Barrister  Greg Ikoko disclosed that, as the returning officer for Ukwuani local  government area for the PDP congress, he went to Grand Hotel in Asaba to meet with the party officials who came from Abuja to preside over the  congress, noting that, as he walked into the Hotel, a man came to him to confirm his identity after  which he brought out a gun and asked him to move into a waiting car.

He said he resisted and four other men joined the gunman to force him into the waiting car adding that due to his resistance the alleged  kidnappers started beating him and attempted to force him into a Camry  car when men of the three battalion intervened.

In an interview, the driver of the Camry car who gave his name as Frank  Okwudili denied knowing the other three alleged kidnappers but disclosed that he was directed to carry the victim in his car.

The other suspects denied their involvement in kidnapping the victim but  could not explain their presence or mission at the Hotel. For his part,  Major Hassan Buker explained that the suspected kidnappers were arrested by his men on patrol.

At the State Security Service command shortly after the parade of the  arrested kidnapping suspects, in press statement signed by the Mrs.  Florence Ikanone, mni, State Director of Security, Delta state command  gave the names of the suspects as “Frank Omosor, Israel Ezegbor, Chuks  Okosa and Frank Okwudili who were arrested by the Army on 3^rd March, 2012 at Grand Hotel, Asaba and handed over to the Service for further investigation and prosecution on 6^th March, 2012 for attempt to kidnap one Greg Ikoko. Three (3) of the four (4)  suspects are hereby presented for this briefing, while Israel Ezegbor is unavoidably absent because of serious injuries he sustained during a  motor accident at Abavo on 6^th March, 2012 while being conveyed to Asaba from Warri.”

Meanwhile the kidnap victim, Barrister Greg Ikoko has petitioned the federal lawmaker to the

National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan. In its petition  entitled “Petition Against Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai, Mr. Henry Olokor, Mr.  Theophilous Opia and others for Attempt Kidnap, Robbery, Assault and  Battery.” signed by Barrister Greg Ikoko, and made available to this  reporter in Asaba explained that “On the 3^rd day of March, 2012 at 17.00hrs or thereabout, Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai  masterminded a kidnap, robbery, assault and battery against me. About  15minutes to the time of the attack, Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai had confronted  me within the premises of Grand Hotel Asaba to demand for the congress  materials for Ndokwa West local government area of Delta state since according to him, my name was announced as the returning officer for Ndokwa West LGA for the PDP ward congress slated for the 3^rd of March, 2012 across the entire country. I told him that I did not know  anything about the congress since I was away to my village.”

Continuing, Barrister Ikoko alleged that “He threatened that if I or any other  person removes any congress material from the Hotel that he would deal  with the person in a most ruthless manner. He went further to say that  as the House of Representative member representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani  Federal constituency that his lists of ward executives for the three  local government area of Ndokwa nation, especially, Ndokwa West, must be the list to be returned. After his threats, he made some phone calls  and about 20 minutes later, his “dare devil squad” otherwise known as ‘APA Boys” arrived in one L.300 bus and two Toyota Saloon car. For your  information sir, the APA BOYS of Kwale in Ndokwa West local government  area of Delta state is a terrorist group founded by Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai  in his days as a member of the Delta state House of Assembly.”

According to the victim “The pre-occupation of this group is to terrorize,  intimidate, witch hunt and oppress political opponents of Hon.  Ossai.N.Ossai. The APA BOYS that came in the three vehicles were  numbering over 40 young men. They met me at the entrance of Grand Hotel  Asaba. They were all staring at me menacingly as they were talking and  pointing at me. So I beat a quick retreat into the Hotel. As I was walking back into the Hotel premises, the  leader of the gang, one Mr. Theophilous Opia, a former councilor in Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai’s ward, rushed up to me and pulled a double barrel short  gun (Cut to size) at me. He ordered me into a waiting vehicle. I  resisted him and enquired what my offence was and where he was taking me to. In response, he said that Mr. Henry Olokor, the Personal Assistant  to Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai ordered them to kidnap me and bring me dead or  alive to him for accepting to be a returning officer without clearance  from Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai. He also said that I was planning to work  against Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai in the congress of that day. I promptly told  him that I did not have any congress material and that I have not met  the PDP Officials from Abuja. Before I knew what was happening, the gang leader beckoned on the over 40 young men that were with him and they  swooped on me.

“They started beating and dragging me into the boot of a waiting car. But I  was able to resist them with the help of some police men on duty and  other security staff of the Hotel. Due to their numerical strength, they overpowered the police men and other security guards at the Hotel. It  was at this junction that the CSO of the Hotel made a distress call to  the Army Special Squad in Asaba, who came to my rescue. But before their arrival, the hoodlums  had removed my wrist watch, necklace, two GSM phones and my car key.  While some were beating me and pushing me into the get-away car, others  were busy ransacking my car in pretence of looking for congress  materials. At the end of the end, they made away with my two laptops, a  briefcase containing clothes, a galaxy tab and other personal effects.  It was the arrival of the Military men that foiled the kidnap.”

Barrister Ikoko further disclosed that only  four of the suspects were apprehended by the military personnel while  others escaped stressing that those arrested are currently undergoing  some interrogations in the hands of some security personnel in the state and urge the NSA to use his good office to ensure that the matter is  thoroughly investigated and the culprits brought to book, as nobody, no  matter how highly placed is above the law. He stated.

When contacted Hon. Ossai.N.Ossai swiftly debunked his alleged involvement  in the kidnap saga stressing that “I am not aware of any security agents or even the SSS in search of me for whatever reasons. Of cause if they  are looking for me they know how best to go about and as I talk to you  now no security agents have called me to say they are looking for me in  connection to a kidnapping matter. I did not send anybody to kidnap  anybody. As a pastor and a federal lawmaker I couldn’t have condescend  so low to mastermind any kidnapping. I think someone is trying to  blackmail and tarnish my good name that I have built for a decade and it will not work.”

When asked while he was not present at the recent state PDP congress and  while the sudden change of mobile line, he replied “I was sick and  hospitalized in Abuja and I also took permission from my state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan why I will not make it to the congress following  the illness. For my mobile line, the line is bad and I decided to buy  another one pending when the faulty one will be ratified.”