The recent kidnapping of Osaruonu Amadi, the Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, has caused concern and panic amongst members of the party. The Rivers State Police Command has yet to make a statement about the incident, which occurred just days before the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the state.
Reports suggest that on Wednesday night, unidentified gunmen dressed in police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) uniforms, abducted Amadi from his home in Aluu, Ikwerre LGA. Some sources suggest that Amadi was arrested for an unknown reason, while others believe he was kidnapped by hoodlums who were dressed in camouflage. The same armed men reportedly invaded the Port Harcourt residence of Chibuike Ikenga, an APC leader in the same LGA, but were unable to pick him as he was not at home.
Amadi is the LGA Secretary of the APC in the home LGA of the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi. He was picked up just hours after joining other political leaders and APC faithful to welcome Amaechi for a ward-to-ward campaign in the area.
Darlington Nwauju, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, has expressed concern about the level of attacks on opposition parties in the state. He has urged the police to do everything possible to bring Amadi back to his family and the APC. Nwauju has also called on the Inspector-General of Police to act fast and redeem the integrity of the police force in the nation.
Nwauju stated, “We are yet to ascertain the whereabouts of Mr. Osaraonu Amadi. We are also yet to ascertain the persons who abducted him but the reports we have gotten clearly states that somebody who works in Civil Defence, said officers attached to the local government council chairman of Ikwerre led persons who came to abduct Mr. Amadi. We want the public to take note, we want the security agencies in Rivers state to assure that no harm comes to our member. And security agencies must also ensure that he is immediately released to the same custody of our party and indeed his family.”
The APC in the state has previously reported several attacks on its members to security agencies, including the police, but no investigation or arrests have been made. Nwauju also alleged that the police prefer to arrest and prosecute APC members on trumped-up charges. The recent kidnapping of Amadi has heightened concerns about the safety of opposition party members in the state.
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