At a press briefing at the ALGON office in Abakaliki, Emmanuel Emeka Odanwu, the Coordinator of the Ishielu North Development Center, confirmed that he had petitioned the Nigeria Police Force’s Ebonyi State Command to arrest Igboayaka, the National President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), for his remarks regarding the recent deadly attacks in the state.
Odanwu requested that the police look into Igboayaka’s statements regarding the suspected herdsmen attack on Amagu village in Nkalaha community, Ishielu Local Government Area, on February 2, 2025. At least 16 individuals were killed in the incident, while other homes were destroyed.
According to the police, the petitioner charged Igboayaka with disseminating misleading information that could disrupt peace and cause instability in the state’s communities.
Two days after Igboayaka was reportedly kidnapped by gunmen on Saturday night at Ochez Suites, Works Layout, Owerri, the capital of Imo State, the police statement was released.
Shortly after the Council’s national convention announced that he had won the OYC presidential election, he was abducted.
In statement provided to reporters on Sunday, Chilos Godsent, the National President of the Igbo National Council (INC) said, “On Saturday 8th February 2025, at about 7:00 pm, we held off the sad news that gunmen dressed in black and numbering up to seven arrived on a Sienna and a Lexus SUV and forcefully arrested the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) – Comrade Igboayaka. O. Igboayaka in a Neo Mafia Gestapo manner at Works Layout Owerri Imo State.”
Odanwu verified that on January 31, 2025, Igboayaka warned the people of Obeagu, Nkalaha, and Egedegede to fortify their security networks against an imminent attack in a public declaration.
He pointed out that the attack on Amagu happened only two days later, which begs the question of how Igboayaka knew about the terrible incident beforehand.
Odanwu emphasized that his appeal was an essential step to help security services find the truth, not a personal jab.
He further emphasized that Igboayaka claimed in a later statement to have given the governor of Ebonyi State four days’ notice of the upcoming attack.
He said, “We strongly believe he knows a lot that needs to be shared with security agencies.
“First prediction came true; our people are apprehensive and scared of the unknown.
“We took the lawful path of involving the police so he can share the same intelligence he claimed to have given the Governor.”