Mike Ozekhome's Abductors Were Graduates

Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who regained his
freedom on Thursday after three weeks of his
abduction, has appealed to the Federal Government to
grant amnesty to kidnappers in the country.
Ozekhome made the call on Thursday while recounting
his ordeal to newsmen at his residence in Lagos, after
he was released by his abductors on Thursday
morning.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that
Ozekhome was abducted on Aug.23 at Ehor near Benin
City in Edo.
Ozekhome said his son, Ilugbeka, and a lawyer in his
chambers, Mr Dominic Ezerioha, were also abducted
by the same kidnappers on Sept. 6, while negotiating
for his release.
According to him, the kidnappers eventually released
him and 12 others about 7 a.m. on Thursday.
The lawyer, however, said he was not aware if any
ransom was paid to secure their freedom.
He said the security situation in the country was a
national calamity which demanded urgent attention.
Ozekhome described his abductors as ”angry and
desperate well-read graduates” who had a network of
cells across the country.
He said during his interactions with them, they told
him that they were pushed into kidnapping due to
unemployment and poverty.
The human rights lawyer said he fell sick twice during
his three-week ordeal, adding that his abductors
brought a doctor who treated him for malaria and
typhoid.
“As a matter of extreme urgency, I want the Federal
Government to immediately grant amnesty to all
kidnappers and institute an amnesty programme for all
kidnappers.
“They told me that if they are given assurance that
they will not be killed, they are ready to agree to the
deal.”
He urged the government to declare a national state of
emergency on youth unemployment and infrastructure
decay.
Ozekhome appealed to the government not to neglect
the families of the four policemen who were killed
while trying to rescue him from his abductors.
“It was this morning that I was briefed that those
gallant officers died while trying to rescue us from our
abductors.
”Let me hereby call upon the Federal Government to
set up a special foundation to cater for the welfare of
the wives and children of these officers.”
He also urged the National Assembly to allow for state
police in the ongoing amendment of the 1999
Constitution.
Ozekhome also called for the convocation of a national
conference to address some of the problems
bedevilling the country.
“As Nigerians, we need to sit down and renegotiate
our existence as a country.
“We need to practice true federalism. We need to
retool Nigeria.”
Ozekhome said the government should also tackle the
problem of corruption in the country.
The human rights activist, while thanking Nigerians for
their concern during his ordeal, debunked insinuations
that his abduction was politically motivated.
“We were never profiled or targeted. It could have
happened to anybody,” he said