By PRECIOUS AKUTAMADU

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, Mr. Tony Okocha, has flayed the protest in his Rumuigbo Community over his alleged involvement in the missing of some community youth leaders.

Okocha, who is the State Representative on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, spoke at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the people of Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area on October, 28 embarked on a protest over the reported disappearance of two youth leaders in the community.

According to the protesters, the missing youth leaders were the President-General of Ekinigbo Youths, Bobby Ezekiel, and President of Nkpolu Community Youths, Chamberlain Owhonda.

The protesters claimed that the missing youth leaders, alongside other persons from the community, went to the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to respond to a petition against them but never returned.

The Head of Nkpolu Community, Mr Ezekiel Ogwutum, who led the protest, alleged that Okocha and his allies were responsible for the disappearance of the youth leaders.

In a reaction, Okocha described the protest in the community as politically motivated and a ploy to tarnish his reputation.

He denied being a party in the petition to the IGP and wondered how the protesters dragged him into the issue.

The former Chief of Staff to former Gov. Rotimi Amaechi expressed sadness that his people did not appreciate his developmental impact in the community, but joined forces with his political enemies to tarnish his image.

“I have never arrested any Rumuigbo person in my whole years of service in the State Government to date.

“Recently, our community got involved in chieftaincy disagreement, which divided the community into two.

“The indices that were thrown up could lead to war but we advised ourselves that we would resolve it peacefully, because we will have no place to call home if the community goes aflame.

“I am not in the petition that took the community to Abuja, I don’t know what they are talking about.

“It is an attempt to malign my character,” Okocha said.

He gave 14 days ultimatum to the community and Prof. Reginald Amadi, one of the traditional rulers installed by a faction of the community members who, he alleged, led the protest, to apologise to him for character defamation, or be prepared to appear in court. (NAN)

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