Wife of the former Special Adviser to the immediate-past Cross River State governor on Cocoa Development and Control, Mrs. Joy Ofuka, has called on the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and the Cross River State governor, Bassey Otu, to wade into what she described as unlawful detention of her husband, Dr. Oscar Ofuka, by the Cross River State Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Okoi Obono (rtd).
Ofuka’s wife made the call while reacting to the arrest and detention of her husband, who was an aide to the immediate-past Governor Ben Ayade on Cocoa Development and Control, in a telephone conversation with LEADERSHIP on Wednesday in Calabar.
She expressed dismay over what she described as excessive use of political power to intimidate the former aide of Ayade, stressing that those behind her husband’s travail should know that power is transient, ephemeral and
not permanent.
“I still cannot understand the gang up against my husband despite the effort that he put in to ensure that money owed cocoa landlord communities for more than a decade was paid.
“I see the gang-up and torment as a tool to distract the cocoa allottees to come against my husband. Let me state here categorically clear that no dime was paid into my husband’s personal account but accounts of the state government via the smart gov platform authorized by the court’s consent judgement.
“May I use this privilege to call on the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun PhD, to wade into the matter so that this harassment and intimidation by the State’s Security Adviser would be stopped.
“I am not a lawyer, as Nigerians, we know that once a matter is taken to court, no one is allowed to arrest anyone. In this matter, the reverse is the case.
“The harassment and intimidation by the state Security Adviser, who is using his position to intimidate my family is not a good thing. What crime did he commit that you took him to Afi Army Barracks, whisked him to Akim Barracks and finally to Federal Housing police station and to Zone 6 Police Command Calabar less than two days?
“Is he a bandit or terrorist to be treated the way and manner he was being maltreated. These are questions that State Security Adviser need to answer.
“His kids and I are really traumatised. We have not been able to sleep in the last three days. We are indeed so emotionally drained. My husband is not keeping any government money, all the cash that accrued from the lease of government cocoa farms was paid into Cross River State government’s account and not to his private pocket,” Mrs Ofuka stated.
