Ibori Exposes Secret Of How He Rescued, Hide Ngige In Govt House Asaba For One Week In 2003

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For those who doesn’t know how former governor of Anambra State, Chief Chris Ngige was rescued from Awka during the abduction saga in 2003, the Saturday last week grand reception organised in honour of Chief James Onanefe Ibori have offered many the opportunity to know what transpired.

It is now clear that Ibori played a very critical role in rescuing Ngige from the hotel where he was held up by security agents.

Emphasing the need for leaders in the country to be courageous in standing on the part of the constitution and working for the people, Ibori revealed how as a sister governor at that time, he moved in to save Ngige from further embarrassment when his attention was drawn to the constitutional breach.

He spoke at the grand reception organised for him by former Secretary to Delta state Government, Comrade Ovouzourie Macaulay at Owhelogbo, Isoko North Council Area of Delta state.

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BigPen Online recalled that Ngige in a manner that could be likened to a ‘coup’, was abducted from Government House Awka, by men of the Nigeria Police Force led by an Assistant Inspector General of Police, Rapheal Ige allegedly acting on ‘orders from above’ in July 10, 2003.

Reports say after his security aides were disarmed, he was picked like a ‘common felon’, sandwiched by security men in an unmarked car and driven to Choice hotel in Awka where he was locked in a room. For several hours, he was kept incommunicado.

However, given a graphic details of what he did to uphold the constitution, Ibori said that after hearing what had happened, he immediately dispatched his security aides to fetch the former governor.

According to him, after the rescued, he quartered him in Government House guest house, Asaba for one week while efforts was made to douse tension in that state.

His words: “When my colleague, Dr. Chris Ngige was assaulted in Government House Awka, I was then a sitting governor, it was the late AK Sikibo that called me and told me what was going on across the bridge.

“I have to call my former ADC to contact Awka to locate for me where Ngige was hiding and I located him and sent a bullet proof car with security to fetch him from Awka and I kept him in Government House guest house and was listening to authorities in Abuja.

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“We were all governors of the same political party. But I felt that that assault was unwarranted constitutionally so I took a position on it and I fetch him and he was in my Government House for a week.”

He said that Ngige only went back to Awka after the situation was brought under control with a bullet proof car and security provided by him.

Ibori however described the assault as unconstitutional saying that he stood firm to opposed PDP governors who sided with those who wanted to unseat Ngige during the party’s National Executive Council meeting

“When the issue came up in PDP NEC, of course I have colleagues who stood up to speak, supporting the illegality and the unconstitutional behaviours of members of my political party, I listened to them carefully.

“When they finished talking, including some of my fellow governors, then I stood up and I spoke and I accused all of them of insulting the constitution of Nigeria. If there is any constitution breach, you must stand up and oppose it,” Chief Ibori stressed.

Ngige is the current Minister of Labour and Employment in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressive Congress (APC) administration.

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