Former members of the Imo State House of Assembly, under the aegis of the Forum of Former Members of Imo State House of Assembly (FOMIHA), have expressed gratitude to the Imo State government and security agencies for their roles in securing the release of their colleague, Chief Ngozi Ogbu, from the dungeon of his abductors.
This was contained in a statement on Friday evening, made available to the media by the chairman of the group, Ugochukwu Nzekwe.
Ogbu, also a former chairman of Okigwe Local Council in Imo State, had been abducted by bandits on September 7, while travelling to his ancestral home in Okigwe to prepare the burial of his late mother.
He was in captivity till Wednesday night, September 17, when he regained freedom. His abductors had released a video, which went viral, showing him in dehumanizing conditions, interrogated by the terrorists. This ignited reactions from his friends, relations, political colleagues, associates, security agencies, and the Imo State government.
The statement read: “The Forum of Former Members of Imo State House of Assembly (FOMIHA) is profoundly relieved and overjoyed at the safe release of our dear colleague and brother, Hon. Ngozi Ogbu, from the hands of his abductors.
“We deeply appreciate the Government of Imo State and the Nigeria Police Force for responding swiftly and taking our earlier press statement with utmost seriousness. Their timely intervention, alongside the efforts of other security agencies, played a decisive role in securing his freedom.”
FOMIHA opined that when the government, the people, and security institutions work together, security outcomes appear positive, stressing: “This outcome demonstrates that when government, security institutions, and the people work together, challenges can be surmounted. We commend all stakeholders who stood in solidarity and prayed for Hon. Ogbu during this trying time.”
The former legislators urged the government and security agencies to sustain vigilance efforts.
“On behalf of FOMIHA, we once again thank the government and security agencies and urge them to remain vigilant in ensuring that such unfortunate incidents are curtailed across Imo State,” they urged.
