ABAKALIKI — A seismic scandal has rocked the Ebonyi State political establishment following the arrest of the State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Simbad Victor Ogbuatu, for the abduction and tragic death of a prominent traditional ruler.
The victim, HRH Eze Francis Igwe, was the father of the state’s immediate past Deputy Governor, Dr. Kelechi Igwe. In a twist that has left the “City Boy” political movement in disarray, the very man paid to protect the party’s image is now accused of masterminding the hit on one of its most elder statesmen.
The monarch reportedly died in the squalor of a kidnappers’ den just 24 hours after he was snatched on his way to church.
The house of cards collapsed when security operatives tracked a ₦500,000 ransom payment to a local bank account. The account holder, upon being “squeezed” by investigators, allegedly sang like a canary, naming Ogbuatu as the coordinator who provided the account details for the blood money.
Ogbuatu was swept up in a sting operation alongside eight other gang members. The suspects have reportedly confessed to the crime, leading police to a shallow grave where the monarch’s remains were recovered and moved to an Abakaliki morgue.
The betrayal has sent a lightning bolt through the APC. Governor Francis Nwifuru, visibly shaken by the development, has vowed that “no political umbrella” will be large enough to shield the perpetrators from the full weight of the law.
As news of the “insider job” spread, local fury boiled over in the Ikwo community, with reports of angry youths torching properties linked to the suspects. Ogbuatu remains behind bars, trading his seat at the high table for a cell as he awaits arraignment for kidnapping, conspiracy, and murder.
