By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Details have emerged of how a state lawmaker-elect for Nnewi North, Onyekachukwu Ike, at the State House of Assembly on Thursday, escaped being whisked away by suspected officers of the Department of State Service (DSS).

The officers had stormed the Assembly complex in Awka, in three cars and attempted to whisk the lawmaker-elect away, save for the timely intervention of the Speaker, security at the complex and others.

However, information gathered by News Express has it that Ike’s ordeal was orchestrated by a kinsman – an unnamed Nnewi multi-billionaire businessman.

Investigation showed that the lawmaker-elect was instructed to be arrested by the billionaire at all cost over issues between him (the billionaire) and oil magnate in the same area.

An eyewitness said: “The armed men drove into the Assembly Complex in three vehicles and grabbed the member-elect after he had participated in a valedictory thanksgiving.”

Narrating the incident, another eyewitness, Ebuka Onyekwelu, said: “I saw Hon. Onyedikachukwu Ike, hereafter referred to as “Synod”, member-elect for Nnewi North, in one of the offices in the Assembly Complex. Earlier, while I was catching up with a member, I saw three unmarked vehicles enter the complex, and I tried to know who that was to no avail. I couldn’t easily detect the convoy, which was unusual. I later saw that they came for the mission of whisking Synod away.

“I and Synod were catching up in that office and from there walked down into the Clerk of the House and had some heartwarming pleasantries with her. We just finished talking with the clerk, and as she stepped out, some men surrounded both of us (Synod and myself) and then, picked him.

“I was like, “wow”!! So, I went straight and told the Speaker. Called some people within the complex and alerted them, all within a minute. The Clerk, seeing what just happened, went down and raised the alarm, and immediately, the gates of the House were locked.

“You cannot come into the Assembly to abduct someone. It is impossible. There is nowhere it is tenable in any kind of democracy. The House security showed utmost professionalism. They refused to be moved. Members of the Assembly gathered immediately, the staff of the House, the media, everyone came out and insisted that they must free him.

“The Speaker came down and was angry, saying that he must be freed, then appealed for calm before it degenerated into chaos. This was on for about a few minutes, before the Deputy Governor came for the valedictory session and ran into the absurdity. The Deputy Governor said the same thing, that the young man be freed. Having no option, they grudgingly freed him and left.

“The biggest shame is that the atrocious attempt to abduct a member-elect was connected to a fellow Nnewi man, whom, it was reported earlier, had secured an arrest warrant or whatever on Synod.

“Armed with this information, people just wanted to know what was the case. “What did he do?” many queried. “Did he kill someone?” they queried further in a haste to know why he must be abducted. It was shocking and insane trying to make such an extremely embarrassing situation look ordinary in the name of a certain communal land dispute or feud between ( the billionaire) and (a Senator) like in the popular narrative of fight between two elephants, which the grass pays for. They don’t seem to understand it.

“It was a monumental disgrace, for want of words. I felt so sad trying to explain to people that it was a family issue taken too far. Many wondered how come a man of such stature is chasing the small boy about? To that, I had no answers.

“After my recovery from the shock and confusion, I came to the conclusion that I have to put this on record for posterity.”

Another respondent said: “Somebody should tell this Nnewi businessman to stop and allow Ikedoji to concentrate. He is now an elected lawmaker so no need for all these muscle tussle.

His (billions) would have stopped him from winning the election but since he couldn’t stop him from winning, then he should allow him concentrate on service to his people.”

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