A visit to Iviukwe in Weppawanno kingdom in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, yesterday, ancestral home of abducted human rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, showed a community in mourning as both Muslims and Christians embarked on dry fast over the incident.
This came on a day Human Rights Defenders Organisation of Nigeria, HURDON, urged the police not to give up in its efforts to track down the kidnappers of the human rights lawyer and his driver who were abducted last Friday.
The abduction of the Asebigwe (the one that every one listens to) of Weppawanno Kingdom and the Akpakpavighidighi of Edo State came as a rude shock to members of the community.
When Vanguard visited the community, yesterday, it was observed that people stayed at home, hoping and praying to hear of his release.
Chief Ozekhome was abducted by suspected kidnappers last Friday while on his way to the village, after they killed four police officers who came to his rescue him and his driver.
Vanguard observed fear on the faces of the elders and relations of the human rights lawyer as they refused to speak to the press, fearing that their comments might provoke his captors.
Elder brother of the kidnapped Senior Advocate of Nigeria, High Chief Pius Ozekhome, was with elders when Vanguard visited but he declined comments on the issue.
But Vanguard observed the pains the family is passing through from his countenance. Vanguard was informed that the Christians in the community had embarked on a seven-day dry fast, while the Muslims also commenced theirs, praying that God should touch his captors to set him free.
The paramount traditional ruler of Weppawanno Kingdom, Dr. George Oshiaapi Egabor, the Okumagbe of Weppawanno Kingdom, who looked troubled, revealed to Vanguard that the people of his kingdom were devastated by the development.
He appealed to the captors to consider the fact that Chief Ozekhome was a lawyer who had been working for the downtrodden in the country.
He said: “We are appealing that they release him for us unhurt . He is a person that has contributed to the growth of our community and has helped our sons and daughters in various capacities.
“We pray that God should touch their hearts by listening to our plea because he is one man we all love so much because of his concern for the poor and his dedication to the service of humanity.
“It is difficult to say much now but we are only appealing to them to release our son.”
Narrating how the community received the news at the family house of two- time former chairman of Etsako East Local Government Council, Stanley Odidi, the paramount ruler said: “We received the news when the police told the wife that they had found one of his telephones in his car as they scrolled the contacts and found the wife’s number.
“So they now called the wife to confirm that it was his car and that was how they broke the news to us in the village. The wife was in Lagos.
“Our brother is a grassroots person, he give assistance to the poor, market women, youths periodically, in fact, many of our people are saying they should come and carry them and leave Ozekhome. We have embarked on dry fasting in the community and our Muslim brothers are also doing their own.
“ You can see that every where is unsually calm in this community because of the incident, that will tell you that we don’t play with Chief Ozekhome. I have never seen any community that is praying as much as we are doing right now.”
vanguard
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