Edo State Government has confirmed the release of 90-year-old Pa Joseph Iduoriyekemwen by the Nigeria Police, clarifying that he was arrested following a petition by members of the Amagba community and was not abducted as initially reported.
Gatekeepers News reports that the clarification was contained in a statement by Prince Kassim Afegbua, Edo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, following an earlier statement in which the government condemned the reported abduction of the elderly man by unknown gunmen.
The initial report had stated that Iduoriyekemwen was abducted around 4am on Tuesday, prompting Governor Monday Okpebholo to direct security agencies to work together to secure his release within 24 hours.
The government said it later received clarification that the 90-year-old was arrested by the police following a petition from some members of the Amagba community.
In the latest statement, Afegbua said the government was “delighted” to announce that Pa Joseph had been released by the police.
He, however, criticised the manner of the arrest, saying the government considered the arrest of a 90-year-old man at 4am inappropriate.
“Whatever be the motive, arresting a 90 years old and fragile man at 4am in such gestapo manner was a no-no for us,” Afegbua said.
He said Governor Okpebholo was committed to due process and the rule of law, adding that the elderly man could have been invited to respond to issues raised in the petition rather than being arrested in the manner described.
The commissioner also said incidents in Edo were sometimes quickly politicised, warning against using such matters to blackmail the government.
Afegbua said the government expected security agencies to apply appropriate methods when handling petitions and matters requiring clarification.
He further said issues concerning land ownership and acquisition must comply with procedures established by the Edo State Government, in line with the governor’s reforms aimed at strengthening land administration processes and documentation.
In the earlier statement, the commissioner had condemned the reported abduction and rejected suggestions that the incident could have been politically motivated.
He said the governor had invested in security infrastructure across the state and described the reported incident as disturbing.
The government also said a special court established to prosecute kidnapping cases had, the previous week, sentenced four kidnappers to death over offences involving murder and kidnapping.
Afegbua urged anyone with useful information on criminal activities in the state to provide such information to security agencies.
The latest statement did not disclose further details about the petition or the circumstances surrounding Pa Joseph’s release.
