Kehinde Fajobi
The Imo State Police Command has refuted claims that Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), was arrested following a mysterious attack on his residence.
Reports had suggested that unidentified gunmen abducted Igboayaka on the evening of Saturday, February 8, 2025, at his home in Works Layout, Owerri.
While some believe the incident was a kidnapping, others suspect that the assailants could have been plainclothes policemen.
Comrade Chilos Godsent, National President of the Igbo National Council (INC), expressed concern in a statement about Igboayaka’s sudden disappearance.
“On Saturday, February 8, 2025, at about 7:00 p.m., we received the sad news that gunmen dressed in black, numbering up to seven, arrived in a Sienna and a Lexus SUV.
“They forcefully took the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, in a Neo-Mafia Gestapo manner at Works Layout, Owerri,” the statement read.
Godsent also mentioned that efforts to reach Igboayaka had been unsuccessful as his phone lines were switched off shortly after the incident.
“Since this incident, efforts by members of the OYC, family, friends, and associates to contact him have failed, as all his mobile lines were switched off immediately after the incident,” he added.
READ ALSO: IPOB tackles Ohanaeze Ndigbo over restructuring
The INC president called on the Nigerian Police Force to investigate the identity of the attackers and make their findings public, stressing the confusion caused by Igboayaka’s disappearance.
However, Imo State Police spokesperson Henry Okoye clarified that the police had not arrested Igboayaka.
“The Imo State Police Command has initiated an investigation to determine the whereabouts of the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka.
“In the meantime, we confirm that he has not been arrested by the police,” Okoye stated. He urged anyone with relevant information about the incident to contact the police.