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, 3rd 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 3rd March, 2012 at Grand Hotel, Asaba and handed over to the Service for further investigation and prosecution on 6th 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 6th 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 3rd 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 3rd 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.”
