Florence Nwaeke, wife of the immediate past Head of Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, George Nwaeke, has raised alarm that Mr Nwaeke might have been kidnapped and under hostage.
Florence’s alarm came in the wake of the allegations by the former Head of service (HOS) that the suspended governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, ordered the bombing of the state assembly complex in December 2023.
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Mr Fubara has refuted the allegations, describing them as “mere desperate attempts” to discredit him and his administration and “undermine” the peace efforts by President Bola Tinubu.
‘Nigerians, please help me’
Florence told reporters on Friday that she was unaware and disturbed by Mr Nwaeke’s whereabouts.
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A video clip which showed the distraught wife raising the alarm was uploaded on YouTube.
In the clip, she told the reporters while crying that her husband had told the family that his friend, Henry Ogiri, a former state commissioner of power, asked him (Nwaeke) to come over to Abuja for a discussion.
The distraught wife said she suspect foul play when she saw a video clip in which the husband made serious allegations against the governor.
“I said, ‘that is not my husband. That is not my husband,’” she said, insisting the husband must have been held hostage.
“So I sent him a message. I said, ‘Are you under duress?’ I sent him a message. I said, ‘Have they kidnapped you? Talk to me now. Why are you not talking to me?’” Florence said, showing the message she sent to the husband.
“Oh, Jesus, help me. Nigerians, help me. My husband is in trouble. My husband is in trouble.”
After speaking reporters, Florence also phoned Mr Fubara and raised the same alarm that her husband must have granted the interview under duress.
She pleaded with the suspended governor to help her husband.
“Governor, help me. My husband is in trouble. He has been kidnapped,” the wife said, adding that the husband resigned under duress.
Mr Fubara was heard in a video clip asking Florence if she unaware of the interview granted by the husband.
“Why did he cook such lies against me,” the governor asked of Mr Nwaeke’s allegations against him.
‘I’m safe, not kidnapped,’ ex-HoS replies wife
But reacting on Saturday, Mr Nwaeke refuted his wife’s alarm that he was kidnapped and granted the interview under duress.
In a video clip circulating on Facebook, the former HoS said contrary to his wife’s alarm, he is safe in Abuja where he went to report himself to security agencies over developments in Rivers State.
“After the press interview I granted, I saw a video my wife trending where they fed her with all kinds of fallacies that I had been kidnapped.
“I want to clear this. I am not kidnapped. I am in Abuja. This is Transcorp Hotel where I am lodging,” he said.
READ ALSO: Ex-Rivers HoS accuses Fubara of bombing state assembly complex
Mr Nwaeke said the alarm and claims by his wife were scripted by unnamed persons.
“I was the Head of Service (of Rivers State). And I am on oath. My wife does not know things happening in my office. I don’t discuss anything about my office with her. So, that script that they wrote for her is null and void.
“I want to clear the air that I am safe. I am fine. I am in Abuja,” he said.
The former official said he would report himself to the security agencies the next day, explaining that he chose to speak in Abuja because offices of all Nigeria’s security agencies are headquartered in the country’s capital.
“So I think I am safe here to make this report here. And I am on oath. I am reporting exactly what I know,” he said.
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