Candidate of the Labour Party in the Imo 2023 governorship election, Sen. Athan Achonu, has called for the release of Mr Ngozi Ogbu, an abducted former member of the Imo Assembly.
Achonu made the call in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Chibuikem Diala, and made available to newsmen in Owerri, on Monday.
Our correspondent reports that Ogbu, whose late mother’s remains still await burial, was kidnapped in the Okigwe area of Imo as confirmed by Police Spokesman , Henry Okoye.
Achonu described the incident as “a direct assault on Igbo values, culture, and humanity” and called for Ogbu’s immediate unconditional release.
“No true Igbo man should ever resort to kidnapping or punishing fellow Igbos who have already suffered enough in this country.
“ Any son of Igbo land who engages in kidnapping and robbery brings shame to his family and community, and must be exposed and rejected because that is not who we are.
“I appeal directly to those holding Hon. Ngozi Ogbu, whose aged mother lies in the mortuary awaiting burial, to release him immediately and allow him the dignity of laying her to rest “, he said.
Achonu further challenged the kidnappers who claimed to have carried out the dastardly act as a way of attracting the attention of government to desist from targeting innocent citizens but rather instead of engaging the government through legitimate means.
“If there are grievances against government, let them be channelled to the appropriate authorities, not by tormenting innocent people “, he added.
The senator decried what he described as a breakdown of moral values and cultural respect.
“Have we truly lost respect for motherhood, for the dead, and for our ancestors? In the name of God Almighty and the spirits of our forefathers, I plead: let Hon. Ngozi Ogbu go home to his family and bury his mother.”
Achonu however called for an urgent and comprehensive security overhaul in Imo.
He said that unless an urgent and deliberate action was taken to strengthen local intelligence networks, empower community policing, and hold public officials accountable, so that “the cycle of bloodshed, fear, and criminality will only worsen.”
“The time has come to move beyond empty rhetoric because our people deserve safety, dignity, and peace.
He called on both the Federal and State Governments, as well as our traditional institutions, move beyond empty rhetoric and work together in building a security architecture that protects ordinary.