Group Demands Release Of Detained Ijaw Activist

Ijaw People’s Development Initiative (IPDI) has demanded the unconditional release of ‘General’ Godstime Ogidigba who was arrested by the police officers attached to the zonal headquarters of Zone 5.

The group, in a statement signed by its national president, the senior advocate of Niger Delta struggle, Comrade Ozobo Austin, described his arrest as illegal, barbaric and provocative. he said Ogidigba who was one time senior special assistant to the governor of Edo State can’t be a gun runner and kidnapper.

The Senior Advocate of the Niger Delta struggle (SANDS), said the petitioners were people of questionable characters, known for kidnapping, gun running and killing of innocent Ijaw people in Edo State.

The group urged the AIG zone 5 and commissioner of police Edo State to ignore such petitions emanating from criminal elements and immediately free the national leader of the third phase presidential Amnesty programme.

IPDI emphasised that Ogidigba is a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria and has been awarded public appointments by the former governor of Edo State, stating that if General Ogidigba were not a Person of good record and reputation, he wouldn’t have been given such appointments.

They alleged that his arrest is politically motivated by those who were opposed to his victory in the just concluded Third phase national election, where he emerged as the national chairman.

The group is calling on the AIG of the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 5, to effect the immediate release of General Godstime Ogidigba to avert rising tension in the Niger Delta.

They also accused the police of being a tool in the hands of people with questionable characters who have been a threat to society.

“The IPO and the OC in charge of the department of General investigation handling the matter were the same officers that went to Inikorogha in 2023 to arrest the petitioners only for them to run out of the state for over a year until they returned when this present government assumed office.

Both officers were in the Edo State Police CID section, before they were transferred to Zone 5.

They knew everything about the case, yet allowed themselves to be compromised by these criminal elements”.