Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has revealed that the state Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Simbad Ogbuatu, is currently in custody over his alleged connection to the kidnapping and eventual death of a traditional ruler in the state.
The governor made the disclosure on Saturday while paying a condolence visit to the family of Chief Francis Igwe, the traditional ruler of Ndufu-Alike community in Ikwo Local Government Area. The late monarch was also the father of former Ebonyi State Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe.
Chief Igwe had earlier been abducted by suspected kidnappers and later died while in captivity after reportedly suffering injuries from physical assault.
During the visit, Governor Nwifuru explained that the APC official became a suspect after security operatives traced a bank account allegedly linked to the ransom negotiations to him.
Recounting how the matter first came to his attention, the governor said the revelation emerged during an internal party meeting.
“During our party meeting, somebody whispered to me that the money paid was linked to the publicity secretary of the APC. I asked, ‘What?’ They said they were still investigating it, but wanted to know if they should go ahead with his arrest. I approved,” Nwifuru said.
According to him, although he initially found the claim difficult to believe, he nonetheless instructed security agencies to invite Ogbuatu for questioning.
During interrogation, the APC spokesman allegedly admitted that he supplied his bank account details after being contacted by one of the suspects, believed to be his personal assistant.
The governor said the suspect insisted he did not know the account would be used for ransom payments, adding that he initially told investigators the funds expected in the account were related to proceeds from a land transaction.
“He said one of his boys, his personal assistant, called him to give an account, and he gave the account the assistant asked him to give. Later, he said the account was for money from a land sale of about N200 million,” the governor added.
Governor Nwifuru further disclosed that investigators used Ogbuatu’s phone to communicate with members of the suspected kidnapping gang as part of efforts to track them.
He said one of the suspects later contacted the phone and accused Ogbuatu of collecting ransom money without sharing it with the rest of the group.
According to the governor, security operatives directed the APC spokesman on how to respond during the conversation in order to lure the suspects to a meeting location.
When the suspects arrived at the agreed spot expecting to collect their share of the ransom, security operatives laid an ambush and arrested them.
Nwifuru added that those arrested later told investigators that they contacted Ogbuatu through one of their members who worked as his personal assistant.
He assured that security agencies were continuing investigations to determine the full circumstances surrounding the abduction and death of the monarch and to identify all those involved in the crime.
