The Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC) has accused Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State of being complicit to the recent herdsmen attacks on Amegu village, Nkalaha community in the Ishielu Local Government Area of the state.
The OYC demanded Governor Nwifuru’s resignation, saying he is incompetent and incapable of protecting the lives and properties of the people of Ebonyi State.
This comes on the heels of the arrest of Comrade Igboayaka Igboayaka, the OYC National President, which the council claims was orchestrated by the governor to silence their voice and pave the way for killer herdsmen to wreak havoc in the state and the South-East in general.
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Chinedu Ikem, OYC said that its intelligence unit has uncovered a sinister plot by the Ebonyi State government to secretly try and jail Igboayaka.
The OYC alleges that the Commissioner for Information in Ebonyi State, Hon. Jude Chikadibia Okpor, has been instrumental in the alleged plot.
According to the Council, Okpor is working closely with the Commissioner of Police to concoct allegations against Igboayaka.
Part of the statement added, “The OYC has condemned the alleged kidnapping of their president, which they claim was carried out by the government without the knowledge or involvement of the Imo State Police Command.
“The Ebonyi state government sponsored abduction of our leader is a slap on the face of Igbo youths and we call on the governor Nwifuru to as a matter of urgency release Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka and apologize to OYC and Igbo nation or resign
“His act proves that he is in support of the Fulani bandits who have been terrorizing our land by not going after the attackers of Nkalaha community instead chooses to go after the OYC National president who advised of the impending attack
“It’s so shameful that the Nigeria police has been an instrument of oppression instead of protecting the citizens.
“The Nigeria police has been reduced to being an instrument of kidnapping because we maintained that our national president was kidnapped because the Imo state government has no knowledge of the so-called arrest.
“How can someone disappear in Owerri Imo state and appear in Ebonyi state without the knowledge of Imo state police command and you call it an arrest?
“Our national president has been denied access to her phone , legal counsels , family members since his abduction on Saturday night.
“We call on the Igbo leaders and the Inspector general of police to investigate this illegal abduction and bring those involved to book.
“We Igbo youths will not allow the politician to turn our citizens victims in their own land, many Igbo youths are migrating to other regions and countries because of the intimidation and abduction of innocent youths in Southeast where sometimes some of them are tagged IPOB members in order to eliminate them.”
The OYC further stated that many youths who got abducted in such a way have never returned.
The Council alleged, “It was the exact plan of Gov Nwifuru led government to make the OYC president to disappear without a trace that’s why they off his phones , took his car and denied every access to know their location.
“No one has seen Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka since that Saturday 8th February 2025 up till this moment and we are even worried of his safety and wellbeing knowing how unprofessional Nigeria police act
“We demand his immediate release now and an apology or Governor Nwifuru should resign immediately.
“We shall shut down Ebonyi State in peaceful protest if our leader is not released immediately.”