By Ruth Oginyi
Security Operatives from Eastern Naval Command, Calabar, Cross River State, April 8 Wednesday arrested community leaders of Umuogoduakpu Ngbo in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi state.
The arrest was in connection with the missing of a Naval Officer from Agila community in Ado local government area of Benue State who lost his way Ngbo and have not been seen till date.
According to reports, a Navy officer David Igbashal was declared missing. Until missing, he was working with Naval Command at Calabar. The family and his office lost contact with him on 23rd Feb when he was travelling between calabar to Enugu.
The report further noted that any one with useful “information about him should contact 08063238843. Please, let’s make this go viral until the Young Officer is found. Kindly share and share on all social media. God bless!!!”
However, until the time of this report the missing naval personnel is yet to be found.
Investigation revealed that he reportedly missed his way, and got missing at Eguorie village in Umuogodoakpu-Ngbo community in Ohaukwu LGA with his jeep while traveling to agila en route ngbo.
But he couldn’t get to his destination as the GPS (Google map ) he was using to find his route failed him probably because of poor network and he was misdirected to Ngbo war zone. And since then he is yet to reunite with the family.
This, however, angered Governor of the State, Engr. David Umahi, to give security agencies in the State seven days to produce the Naval Officer dead or alive, but till date no information about him has been heard hence the reason for the arrest of the community leaders.
It was earlier alleged that it was stakeholders of the local government that were arrested, but on the contrary, the council chairman, Barr Clement Odah, said that those arrested were just community leaders of Umuogoduakpu Ngbo.
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He explained it was the community that the naval officer went missing that was affected and that the traditional ruler, and the town union president were those whisked away by the operatives.
“There is nothing like stakeholders arrested. It’s one community that we are talking about not Ohaukwu stakeholders.
“It’s the traditional ruler of Umuogoduakpu Ngbo and the town union president that were arrested.
“So the issue is more of community leaders not stakeholders because it was not an Ohaukwu affair it was just that particular community where the soldier went missing.
“The other people who were wrongly arrested including journalists were also released,” he explained
It was further gathered that the recent arrest came one week after the Coordinator of Ngbo West Development Centre, Barr. Peter Igwe Ogenyi, was also arrested by the Operatives of the Command, who came from Calabar.
Sources from Ohaukwu who does not want his name in print, hinted that the security officers stormed Ohaukwu Council Secretariat at about 5pm on Tuesday, 7th April, 2020, where they were having a security meeting and arrested some leaders of the community.
The meeting according to source was at the instance of the council Chairman, Hon. Clement Odah.
