Media aide to former Anambra State Governor Chris Ngige, Mr. Fred Chukwuelobe, has dismissed viral reports claiming that the ex-minister was kidnapped, clarifying that he is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Rumours of Ngige’s alleged abduction spread late Monday, prompting concern among associates and members of the public. Chukwuelobe said he had been inundated with calls from friends and journalists seeking verification of the claim.
“I have been receiving calls in the past hour from friends and journalists seeking the veracity of the news making the rounds that His Excellency, Dr. Chris Ngige, former Governor of Anambra State and immediate past Minister of Labour and Employment, ‘has been kidnapped,’” he wrote on Facebook.
Read Also:
President Tinubu Orders Withdrawal of Police Escorts From Ministers, Top Officials
“Ngige is with the EFCC. He was not ‘abducted’ or ‘kidnapped’,” he added, noting that further details would be provided in due course.
Efforts to obtain confirmation from the EFCC were unsuccessful, as Dele Oyewale, the Commission’s spokesperson, did not respond to calls or text messages.
Ngige has recently been in the news after his convoy came under attack on November 27 along the Nkpor–Nnobi road in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State. During the incident, gunmen disguised in military and police uniforms opened fire on his convoy, killing a woman who was filming the attack and injuring a police officer and other civilians. Ngige was not in the convoy at the time.