The President of the Ebira Youth Congress (EYC), Ajaokuta branch, Comrade Luqman Abbas Oricha, has been declared missing.
In a statement made available to Henzodaily by a member of the association, Inda Bello, Oricha was last seen after the divisional head of the Department of State Services (DSS), Ajaokuta branch allegedly led a group of armed men to “abduct him on the 7th of February 2025.”
The EYC leader was reportedly whisked away in the early hours of Friday around 1 am by the armed men clad in black uniforms.
According to Bello, Oricha’s wife reported that several strong men arrived in four Toyota Hilux trucks, invaded their home, and forcibly took her husband away.
She further claimed that her husband recognized one of the individuals as the Divisional Head of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ajaokuta when he opened the door for them.
Since his abduction/arrest, efforts by the EYC President General, his relatives, and concerned members of the community to locate him have proven fruitless, as his mobile phone remains powered off, Bello noted in a statement made available to Henzodaily.
In response, both the Kogi State Police Command and DSS headquarters have denied any awareness of his arrest or detention.
He noted that attempts to gather information about his status from DSS members in Ajaokuta have been unsuccessful, and no substantial information has been provided by any official source to date.
“Expressing deep concern, the Oricha family and members of the Ebira Youth Congress have declared that the Divisional Head of DSS in Ajaokuta will be held responsible if anything happens to him.
“They have called on the government and relevant security agencies to act swiftly in locating and securing his release.
“The family is also urging members of the public to come forward with any useful information that could assist in uncovering his whereabouts,” the statement added.