National president of Persons With Disability Initiative Nigeria, Mr Augustine Onwuamaegbu, has narrated how he was abducted and tortured by suspected kidnappers on Abuja-Kaduna Road.
The incident occurred last week when he led a team of volunteers to distribute free hearing aids, walking sticks and other relief materials to persons with disabilities between Akilbu and Rijana villages on the Abuja-Kaduna Road.
Onwuamaegbu, who is also a humanitarian worker and human rights activist, told newsmen in Abuja yesterday that the kidnappers had warned him to “stop fraternising with some politicians in the opposition against the interest of the ruling government in power.
“They clearly warned me to stop exercising my freedom of expression given to me by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They beat me and tortured me mercilessly and told me that it was the last warning from them and that they would be monitoring my movements, associations and utterances.
“I am afraid for my life because I am a person with disability. We are a democracy but I am not allowed to freely associate with persons or groups recognised by the law of my country,” he said.
The visibly shaken humanitarian worker said it was the third time in a row he was being attacked, trailed by suspected assassins who had sent threat messages to kill him unless he mobilises persons with disabilities in Nigeria for a certain political party to win elections in 2023.
Onwuamaegbu said he was trailed by the abductors sent by their political masters from Abuja and after they had picked him and beaten him up for two days, left him in a helpless situation before some good Samaritans picked him from the bush where he was abandoned by his assailants.
He therefore called on the security agencies to tackle the worsening security in the country.
