Ozekhome released, says ‘12 of us were kept in a small, dark room’ •Another Edo traditional ruler kidnapped

CHIEF Mike Ozekhome, after his release on Thursday, narrated his experience in the kidnappers’ den, saying it was not a pleasant experience.
The lawyer, who was in high spirit was released around 8am in Benin on Thursday, after 20 days of incarceration.

Speaking to the media at his No 21, Mike Ozekhome Lane, Igando, Lagos, the Senior Advocate expressed his appreciation to God for the opportunity given him to see his family again.
The family, in a joyous mood, sang songs of praise to God for keeping their breadwinner for the two weeks that he spent with his abductors, after being abducted on the Benin-Auchi Expressway by the unknown gunmen.
Describing his incarceration as a stay in the jungle, Ozekhome said he is grateful to God to be alive, despite the inconveniences and psychological torture  he passed through.
According to him, he was kept with 12 other people in a dark room, where there was no social or age demarcation
“We were psychologically tortured, we suffered from physical and mental stress. The bad news is that the kidnappers do not know gender or social strata; the rich or poor people, politicians or government officials, anybody could be a victim,” he added.
He explained further that he was captured close to Benin around 3pm on August 23, 2013, on his way to his home town and  was further driven on a rough road for about four hours to a jungle far removed from civilisation, adding that he and his driver were blindfolded, with several masked men holding sophisticated guns to threaten them.
He added that the kidnappers engaged in series of exchange of gunfire with policemen shortly after they were kidnapped and later, he heard them saying, “we’ve killed some of the policemen, tomorrow they will say in the newspapers that they have killed some of us.”
According to Ozekhome, the abductors took him and his driver to an uncompleted building in the bush while a colony of mosquito descended and fed on him and other hostages.
In the course of that, he said he took ill but was promptly attended to by the kidnappers’ doctor who, after examining him, gave him injections and intravenous drip to treat him for malaria and typhoid fever.
He added that anytime the abductees wanted to speak to their abductors, they must face the ground, as looking at them (kidnappers) could hand the offender instant death sentence.
“24 hours day, we had death sentence hanging on our heads. When any of the kidnappers wanted to speak to us, we must face the wall or the ground. They treated me gently because they said they have discovered that I’m on the side of the masses, that I have been fighting for the masses.”
He described kidnapping in Nigeria as a calamity that needs urgent attention of the president.
“Let no one be deceived that we are dealing with toy gun carriers because their phones cannot be tracked, one of them said that they do not originate calls in the state their captives are.”
He explained further that the abductor said they usually make calls in five states away from their state of residence and their calls are usually on high speed, adding that they were aggrieved Nigerian graduates who, because they are jobless, turned to gunmen.
“These people are highly sophisticated. They are all graduates that are jobless.
They complained that the vast wealth of the country has gotten to just one per cent of Nigerians.
“One of them said he had graduated six years ago but has no job. They said that they are going to show their real colour to the politicians by 2015,” he added.
Chief Ozekhome observed four minutes silence for the gallant police officers that lost their lives during the exchange of fire during his abduction, praying for the repose of their souls.
Also, he expressed appreciation to eminent Nigerians, President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate President, Senator David Mark; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar for their concern and support while he was in captivity.
Expectedly, there was joyous mood at Iviukue, the home town of Ozekhome in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State as the people of the community expressed happiness cover the release of one of its illustrious sons.
Ozekhome who denied any political undertone to his kidnap, refused to name what he paid for ransom and promised to continue the struggle to fight for the oppressed, the subjugated and the hopeless Nigerian.
Atiku congratulates Ozekhome
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed joy and relief at the release of Chief Mike Ozekhome, by his abductors.
In a statement by his media office in Abuja, the former vice president said he was full of joy that the kidnap saga came to an end.
Atiku also congratulated the family of the lawyer and the Nigerian Bar Association on the resolution of Ozekhome’s ordeal at the hands of his captors.
Meanwhile, the former vice president offered his prayer for the quick release of Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of the Niger Delta, the Most Reverend Ignatius Kattey.
The former Vice President also called for prayers for all victims of kidnapping currently in captivity across the country.

NBA, others hail Ozekhome’s release
Some prominent lawyers and human rights activists on Thursday hailed the release of Mr Ozekhome, by his abductors.
They urged government to intensify efforts to address the security challenges in the country.
Mr Taiwo Taiwo, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos branch, told NAN that the release was a huge relief for the legal profession.
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“We are happy about the release, but we should not lose sight of the fact that there is so much insecurity in the nation,” he said.
A lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Fred Agbaje, said he was disappointed with the time it took to secure Ozekhome’s release.
Agbaje said: “We are happy that he has been released, but we are disappointed with the efforts of our security operatives.”
He urged government at all levels to take urgent steps to address the issue of the welfare of Nigerians.
Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, Executive Director, Socioeconomic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a human rights group, also expressed a similar view.
Mumuni said: “The point that should be made, in spite of the release of Ozekhome and others who had been kidnapped in the past, is that we need to improve our security apparatus.
“This is the only way to attract foreign investments into the country, because nobody would want to invest in an unsafe environment.”
A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) while reacting to Chief Mike Ozekhome’s release on Thursday said though he was happy for his colleague, but his release gave him mixed feelings
According to him, the release once again raises the crucial issue of insecurity in the country
“I just received the news of the release of Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, with mixed feelings. I am happy that regardless of the circumstances leading to his eventual regain of personal liberty, he has joined his family, though psychologically bruised, apparently physically unhurt.
“This unfortunate incident also, with greater intensity, wells up an emotion of extreme anger in the minds of those who feel genuinely concerned with our precarious state as citizens of this country as regards security.
Edo traditional ruler kidnapped
The traditional ruler of Udo community and an in-law to the Benin monarch, HRH Patrick Igbinidu, has been reportedly abducted by suspected kidnappers while playing a game of draft.
Meanwhile, the Iyase of Udo was allegedly kidnapped at about 7 pm on Wednesday by a four-man gang while playing draft with his friends around his palace and forcefully taken away to an unknown destination.
The traditional ruler of Udo, where every crown prince to the Benin throne must perform certain customs before being crowned the Oba of Benin, was last seen in the public last week when he commissioned a modern police station that was donated to the community by a rubber plantation company.
A source in the Edo State Police Command and the Chairman of Ovia South-West Council, Morrison Ogunrobo, confirmed the kidnap of the monarch, with the latter stating that rescue effort has since commenced.