The Ebonyi State chapter of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, has faulted the arrest of Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC.
The party, while joining millions of Nigerian youths in condemning the arrest, described it as even more worrisome because it was traced to the Ebonyi State Police Command.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the State Chairman, Chris Emmanuel, APGA revealed that it was in discussions about who might have masterminded Igboayaka’s arrest.
According to him, party faithful were also making contact with other Igbo youth associations nationwide, aiming to ascertain those who might have held the youth leader hostage.
The statement read, “It beats our party faithful’s imagination that the said abduction was traced to our state domain, while the ugly incident took place on Saturday, 8th February 2025, at Works Layout, Owerri, Imo State, a few minutes after Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka was declared the winner of the fourth National Election Convention of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), which took place in Owerri.
“We in APGA view the incident as politically motivated, as the candidate of the Ebonyi State Governor may have lost the bid for the Presidency of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC).”
“APGA, in solidarity with the youths of the Igbo Nation, is demanding an explanation from the Governor of our dear state. It is high time he came public and addressed the Igbo youths on what led to the unwarranted Neo-Mafia Gestapo-style abduction of the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) by the Ebonyi State Police Command,” APGA’s media aide stated in the press release.
“Sources before APGA suggest that the alleged abduction of the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, by the Ebonyi State Police Command was on the alleged instruction of the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, whose candidate in the election was said to have lost to Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka.
“As one of the opposition political parties in Ebonyi State, we are keeping our fingers crossed, waiting as events unfold. We are calling on His Excellency, Governor Francis Ogbonna Erishi Nwifuru, to immediately order the unconditional release of the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC),” the statement added.
APGA faults arrest of lgboayaka, calls for his immediate release
