The Presidency has condemned in
strong terms the kidnapping of human right activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN,
and passionately appealed to his abductors for his release.
It expressed shock over the incident.
Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon Kingsley Kuku, who spoke
on behalf of the Presidency, yesterday, was out of the country on official
engagement when Ozekhome was seized along the Benin–Auchi road. Kuku described
the abduction as unthinkable, barbaric and a grievous sin against God and
humanity.
He noted that besides his laudable
contribution to the development of the nation’s judiciary, Ozekhome had,
through his unrelenting advocacy for equity, justice, fairness and good
governance, remained in the frontline of collective efforts at transforming the
lives of the poor and downtrodden.
Expressing concern over the
resurgence of kidnapping in some parts of the Niger Delta, particularly in Edo
State, Kuku, who is also chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme,
advised those engaged in kidnapping and other heinous crimes as a means of
livelihood to shun criminality and take advantage of the various youth
empowerment, development and employment initiatives under the transformation
agenda of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.
He said that while the Federal
Government is fully committed to creating job opportunities for youths in the
Niger Delta region and other partsof thecountry, unemployment was no
justification for anyone to engage in brazen acts of crime and criminality, as
the full weight of the law will take its course.
Meanwhile, there were indications,
yesterday, that Edo State Police Commissioner, Mr Folunso Adebanjo, and his
counterpart in Delta State, Ikechukwu Aduba, may have perfected plans to secure
the release of Ozekhome.
Sources spoke of marathon meetings
convened by Adebanjo and Aduba on Friday and yesterday, mapping out strategies
on how to secure the release of the kidnapping victim and other people abducted
alongside him unhurt. The sources said the police appeared to have identified
where the victims were kept by their abductors and were strategizing on how to
deal with the situation in order to avoid casualties.
It was learnt that top police
officers and crack team of detectives were involved in the meeting, giving
signals that they may embark on a commando mission. Efforts made to get the Edo
CP to comment on the development proved abortive as calls to his cell phone
were unanswered.
Also, yesterday, the Executive
Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, Reverend David
Ugolor, appealed to the kidnappers to release Ozekhome.
Ugolor made the appeal while speaking during the Human Rights Defenders
meeting
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