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