Kidnapped Victim Rejoins Family

General Overseer, Omega Power Ministries, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere (middle), cutting the tape to officially commission the Church’s free nursery and primary school buildings at the OPM headquarters in Port Harcourt. With him are Pastor Godwin Ozoemelam (right), Director of Welfare, Mrs Maureen Chikwu and others, yesterday.

The Police Command in Edo State and family members have confirmed the release of  Chief Mike Ozekhome, a lawyer and human rights activist, 20 days after his  abduction.
They said that Ozekhome was released early yesterday.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Foluso Adebanjo confirmed the release to newsmen in Benin but declined to give details.
”He has been released, but I cannot answer your question on how he was released and whether ransom was paid to secure his release,” Adebanjo said.
Our correspondent  recalls that Ozekhome with his driver and two others were abducted by gunmen at Ehor on Benin-Auchi-Okene highway on August 23.
Two persons with Ozekhome were released last week.
It would be recalled that four policemen who came to rescue the lawyer during the abduction were killed by the gunmen.
Meanwhile, the elder brother of the activist, Chief Pius Ozekhome said Iviukwe community in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo where Ozekhome hails from had been in joyous mood following his release.
The senior Ozekhome while thanking the media and Nigerians for their prayers during their ordeal, said his brother was in stable condition.
However, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who regained his freedom yesterday after three weeks of his abduction, has appealed to the Federal Government to grant amnesty to kidnappers in the country.
Ozekhome made the call yesterday while recounting his ordeal to newsmen at his residence in Lagos, after he was released by his abductors early yesterday.
Ozekhome said his son, Ilugbeka, and a lawyer in his chambers, Mr Dominic Ezerioha, were also abducted by the same kidnappers on September 6, while negotiating for his release.
According to him, the kidnappers eventually released him and 12 others about 7 a.m.
The lawyer, however, said he was not aware if any ransom was paid to secure their freedom.
He said the security situation in the country was a national calamity which demanded urgent attention.
Ozekhome described his abductors as ‘’angry and desperate well-read graduates’’ who had a network of cells across the country.
He said during his interactions with them, they told him that they were pushed into kidnapping due to unemployment and poverty.
The human rights lawyer said he fell sick twice during his three-week ordeal, adding that his abductors brought a doctor who treated him for malaria and typhoid.
“As a matter of extreme urgency, I want the Federal Government to immediately grant amnesty to all kidnappers and institute an amnesty programme for all kidnappers.
“They told me that if they are given assurance that they will not be killed, they are ready to agree to the deal.”
He urged the government to declare a national state of emergency on youth unemployment and infrastructure decay.
Ozekhome appealed to the government not to neglect the families of the four policemen who were killed while trying to rescue him from his abductors.
“It was this morning that I was briefed that those gallant officers died while trying to rescue us from our abductors.
”Let me hereby call upon the Federal Government to set up a special foundation to cater for the welfare of the wives and children of these officers.”
He also urged the National Assembly to allow for state police in the ongoing amendment of the 1999 Constitution.
Ozekhome also called for the convocation of a national conference to address some of the problems bedevilling the country.
“As Nigerians, we need to sit down and renegotiate our existence as a country.
“We need to practice true federalism. We need to retool Nigeria.”
Ozekhome said the government should also tackle the problem of corruption in the country.
The human rights activist, while thanking Nigerians for their concern during his ordeal, debunked insinuations that his abduction was politically motivated.
“We were never profiled or targeted. It could have happened to anybody,” he said.