The Imo State Police Command has denied arresting Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, a prominent Igbo youth leader and President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC).
Reports indicate that unidentified gunmen stormed Igboayaka’s residence at Works Layout, Owerri, on Saturday evening and forcefully took him away. While some suspect it was a kidnapping, others believe the assailants could be plain-clothed policemen.
The National President of the Igbo National Council (INC), Comrade Chilos Godsent, expressed concern in a statement, revealing that Igboayaka’s phone lines were switched off immediately after the incident.
“On Saturday, February 8, 2025, at about 7:00 p.m., we received the sad news that gunmen dressed in black, numbering up to seven, arrived in a Sienna and a Lexus SUV. They forcefully took the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, in a Neo-Mafia Gestapo manner at Works Layout, Owerri,” the statement read.
“Since this incident, efforts by members of the OYC, family, friends, and associates to contact him have failed, as all his mobile lines were switched off immediately after the incident.
“We call on the leadership of the Nigerian Police Force, Imo State Command, to immediately investigate the identity of the gunmen who abducted Comrade Igboayaka and make their findings public. His disappearance has thrown his followers, family, and friends into confusion.”
However, the Imo State Police Command, through its spokesperson Henry Okoye, denied having Igboayaka in custody and confirmed that an investigation had been launched to ascertain his whereabouts.
“The Imo State Police Command has initiated an investigation to determine the whereabouts of the President of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka. In the meantime, we confirm that he has not been arrested by the police,” Okoye stated.
He urged anyone with relevant information about the incident to promptly notify the police.
