A philanthropist, Chief Joseph Ologbo, has debunked reports that he is a cult financier, saying he is innocent of the allegation.
Ologbo in a statement delivered to journalists, yesterday in Abuja, described his arrest by police in Delta State alleging that he is a financier of a cult group named ‘Aro Bagger’ as unfortunate, adding that the incident was a ploy to smear his reputation.
While debunking some of the accusations levied against him, he narrated that he had recently flown into the country to see his family when he was arrested at a hotel, he dropped by to get food.
He said that he does not belong to any cult group, adding that the only club he identifies with is Norsemen.
He said, “On the first of January 2023, I came to Nigeria and got to Sapele on the 10th of the same month. I was in Asaba from 19th to 22nd for the Lions Convention and returned to Sapele on the 22nd of the same month.
“On the 23rd of January 2023, I was at the Stone Hotel to buy food when I was arrested. That night I was beaten like a criminal from the hotel in the car they put me. The policemen were hitting me with gun and keep asking me where is the AK I told them I don’t have any AK and that I only have a pump action (Which is registered) they took me to my house and sat me down on the floor outside my compound in front of my wife and my daughter and beat me mercilessly.
“My house was scattered by the police and up till now my wife has not been able to arrange the house, they took my Norsemen materials, three laptops one for me one for my wife, and one for my foundation, my personal Apple tablet 2022 edition, my land papers three of my house papers, my passport and that of my wife (which we’ve been able to recover by my lawyer).
“They also recovered two of my vehicles, a Mercedes Benz GLE 450 and a tundra truck. In my tundra truck I have five watches, four Invicta and one Vas. In the process of beating me up, I don’t know if it is one of the policemen that cut my Cuban chain or if it just got missing in the process.
“They also took me to the apartment where I use to stay when I am not home and they did a search and found nothing too in that apartment they almost killed me, police and Army lock me in one of the rooms after the 2iC ordered them to beat me until I tell them where the AK is.
“They later took me to Sapele main station. I was isolated for five days, with no opportunity to make phone calls and they punished me like a criminal and claimed that I was using an unlicensed gun to kill in the town.
“The next day I could not walk. I was taken to the police hospital there in Sapele station for treatment.
“When they took my statement I maintained that I am a Norseman but I was beaten already and when the SACU Commander interrogated me, he asked them to get him his gun and that he is going to shoot my leg if I don’t agree that Norsemen are Vikings almost at the end of my statement they force me to say that.
“I was transferred to Asaba. They used my tundra to transport other suspects to Asaba. For almost a week they said nothing. I was just locked up when I got sick and fainted repeatedly. Thankfully, Commander Chris Igbaji told them to bring me out of the cell every morning and take me back to the cell late at night, so they were bringing me out every morning and back to the cell at night. I think the hospital told them I am a BP patient and I need air.
