The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has confirmed the arrest of the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr. Simbad Ogbuatu, over his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and killing of a traditional ruler in the state.
The monarch, Chief Francis Igwe of Ndufu-Alike, was reportedly abducted by suspected kidnappers and later died in captivity after sustaining injuries from physical assault.
Governor Nwifuru disclosed the development during a condolence visit to the family of the deceased monarch. He revealed that security agencies linked a bank account allegedly used for ransom negotiations to the APC publicity secretary.
According to the governor, the issue first came to his attention during a party meeting when a member informed him that investigators had traced the ransom payment to Ogbuatu.
“During our party meeting, somebody whispered to me that the money paid was linked to the publicity secretary of the APC. I asked, ‘What?’ They said they were still investigating it but wanted to know if they should go ahead with his arrest. I approved,” Nwifuru said.
He noted that although he initially doubted the claim, he directed security operatives to invite the suspect for questioning.
During interrogation, Ogbuatu reportedly admitted that he provided his bank account details after being contacted by one of the suspects, said to be his personal assistant. However, he claimed he was unaware that the account would be used for ransom payments.
The governor further explained that the APC official told investigators the money expected in the account was related to proceeds from a land transaction valued at about ₦200 million.
Security operatives later used the suspect’s phone to communicate with members of the alleged kidnap gang in an attempt to track them down. One of the suspects reportedly called and accused Ogbuatu of collecting the ransom money without sharing it with the group.
Based on police instructions, the suspect continued the conversation and arranged a meeting with the gang members. Security personnel subsequently set up an ambush at the location and arrested some of the suspects when they arrived to collect their share of the ransom.
He added that security agencies were continuing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the killing of the monarch and the alleged involvement of individuals connected to the crime.
The late monarch, Chief Francis Igwe, was also the father of Kelechi Igwe.
Authorities say further arrests may follow as the investigation progresses.
