Ex-lawmaker, Hon. Ned Nwoko has fingered RainOil’s founder, Gabriel Ogbechie in connection with an alleged plot to murder him (Nwoko).
In a press statement released by Nwoko’s media office and made available to newsmen, Ogbechie was said to have already been arrested and drilled by the police at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command, Abuja, over the despicable plot to assassinate Prince Ned Nwoko.
The ex-lawmaker warns that security agencies should note that if any harm by some rare chance, befalls him or any of his supporters, Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie should be held responsible,
Nwoko’s statement is in reaction to a press conference held by Dr. Gabriel Ogbechie of Rain Oil and the subsequent publications over the communal crisis at Idumuje-Ugboko, in Aniocha North local government area of Delta state, as well as his denial of being arrested by the police.
The statement reads in full: “The attention of Honourable Prince Ned Nwoko, through phone calls, text messages and emails, have been drawn to a press conference held by Dr Gabriel Ogbechie of Rain Oil and the subsequent publications over the communal crisis at Idumuje-Ugboko, in Aniocha North local government area of Delta state
.“In the said press conference Ogbechie was reported to have tried strenously , albeit fruitlessly, to deny the hard fact that he was arrested and drilled by the police at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command, Abuja, to tell them what he knew about the despicable plot to assassinate Prince Ned Nwoko.
“Dr Ogbechie reportedly told the bewildered media men that he was not arrested, that he was only invited to see a petition written against him, which he perused and left after a few minutes.
“Ordinarily, Prince Ned Nwoko would not have reacted to this puerile denial by Ogbechie but for the threat to his life. Also, allusions to Dr Ogbechie featured prominently in the text messages sent by the prisoner who blew the whistle. It will therefore amount to naivety and lack of caution for Prince Ned to be silent. The text message is here attached.
“To put the records straight, a prisoner in Kuje Prison overheard his fellow inmates discussing a plan to assassinate Prince Ned Nwoko. These inmates were hoodlums arrested for the mayhem in Idumuje-Ugboko in 2017 and they are now facing trials for murder and terrorism in a Federal High Court, Abuja. Ogbechie is widely known to have arranged bail for some of these gangsters and he has published same in the media.
“As the hoodlums talked about their barbaric and demonic plans, they also mentioned names of their collaborators and sponsors. References were made to an oil magnate in Idumuje-Ugboko, who owns chains of filling stations and that is Dr Ogbechie. Both Ogbechie and Prince Ned hail from this village.
“Their fellow inmate and whistleblower who overheard their devious plot did not know Prince Ned. But he knew Prince Ned Nwoko ‘s wife, Regina Daniels Nwoko, to be the Brand Ambassador to a product, a brand owned by a member of his church. So, he quickly sent a text message to the church member on what he had heard. It was the church member who then alerted Regina Daniels Nwoko, prompting her to inform her husband.
“It is therefore disingenuous and diversionary for Dr Ogbechie to claim in his publication that Regina Daniels was talking and exchanging text messages with the whistleblower. This is not true. It was clear from the text messages and even Honourable Prince Ned Nwoko’s petition that the inmate who exposed the assassination plot neither knew Regina Daniels nor her husband.
The person he knew was a member of his church who owns a brand for which Regina Daniels is an Ambassador. And though he did not know or have any relationship with her, he recognised the fact that she is a Brand Ambassador to the church members brand and that Prince Ned Nwoko is her husband. His message was therefore passed through the church member and not directly to Regina Daniels as Dr Ogbechie alleged. It was Regina who finally passed the message to her husband.
“Having alerted the world and the security agents through a well-publicised Open Letter to the Inspector General of Police, Honourable Prince Ned then followed with a formal petition.
“The police then proceeded to formally obtain a Warrant of Arrest from the court before Dr Ogbechie was arrested.
“For the records, Ogbechie was interrogated and spent hours at the police station. It was indeed about 6.00 pm that his lawyer, Ayodeji Ademola stood as surety for him and he was granted bail.
“It is therefore futile and despicable for Ogbechie to deny what is an incontrovertible fact. But we are not surprised by Ogbechie’s incongruous denials.
“On reading the news of his arrest at first, his Assistants prodded by him denied it flatly pointing to Prince Ned as the man trying to tarnish his image. Ogbechie himself was quoted as saying, ” I’m in my house. I’m alright and safe”.
“But less than two hours later when the news was everywhere and there was no place to hide for the oil magnate, he finally but ignominiously agreed that he was indeed at the police station but just to sight a petition written against him. It was the only honourable way left for him to tackle self – induced ridicule. His press conference was only a belated move to save a face tainted with dishonour and shame.
“The purpose of this press statement, it must be emphasised, is by no way an indication that Prince Ned Nwoko is scared of the vile plot Ogbechie may come up with as he, Prince Ned, is formidable by divine grace and towers well above Ogbechie’s morbid plot and eerie intrigues.
“But Ned Nwoko had to make this public statement because he recognises that this sinister plan is not only directed at him but hundreds of his innocent and vulnerable supporters and the rural dwellers back home at Idumuje-Ugboko who refused bluntly to be subservient to the likes of Ogbechie and his gang who desperately chose to subvert truth, for selfish motives against the wellbeing of the people.
“Prince Ned Nwoko is therefore calling on security agencies to note that if any harm by some rare chance, befalls him or any of his supporters, Dr Gabriel Ogbechie should be held responsible.”
-TheCapitalNG
