LAGOS—PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo has averted another face-off between Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Emeka Ojukwu, and State Security Service (SSS). Security agents had Tuesday seized Ikemba Ojukwu’s passport at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos and prevented him from travelling out of the country.
The Ikemba Nnewi who was said to be travelling with his wife, Bianca, to the United States of America (USA) for medical checkup, according to sources, was intercepted by the SSS men after he had passed through checking formalities.
The security men seized his passport without giving any reason and when he enquired, he was simply told that he should go to Abuja to collect it.
The incident, which took place at about midnight, Vanguard learnt, caused a mild stir, attracting the attention of some Igbo leaders and top government officials who tried to intervene on behalf of the Ikemba. Nigeria’s High Commissioner in London, Dr. Christopher Kolade, who was alerted by some concerned indigenes, was said to have informed President Olusegun Obasanjo who was in far away Finland about the development. The president in turn immediately called the Director-General of the SSS in Abuja and ordered that Ojukwu’s passport be released to him.
However, Ikemba’s KLM Flight was said to have left before the president’s intervention forcing him to abort the journey and he returned to his 29 Queen’s Drive residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The SSS, it was further gathered, returned the passport to him at about 1a.m. yesterday.
Confirming the incident, National Chairman of Ojukwu’s political party (All Progressives Grand Alliance), Chief Chekwas Okorie, said he called the Director-General of the SSS immediately he was alerted on the development but was told that he was not available. He said the SSS boss, however, called him around 1.am to assure him that the seized passport would be returned to the Ikemba and blamed his overzealous staff for the incident.
...thanks Obasanjo
Ojukwu himself, told journalists at his Villasaka Lodge in Lagos, that the seizure of his passport prevented him from travelling on Tuesday, but attributed the action to the overzealousness of security operatives. He thanked President Obasanjo for intervening in the matter.
Ojukwu, who looked frail hinted that he might be leaving the country last night for a two-week medical checkup, saying: “For about two weeks, a lot of people who are in the habit of phoning to find out how I am would confirm that they have had a difficult time getting across to me through my office in Enugu because I have not been feeling well.
I was due to travel out last night (Tuesday) with my wife to the United States for a medical checkup. We got to the airport, our luggage already checked in; but, first one of my personal staff was told that the SSS would like to see me, I said no problem. As soon as I arrived the airport I was ushered into their office and told by an operative that I would be required in Abuja today. I said Abuja again (chuckles), I sort of laughed it off, and he said I could not travel, and he had told my personal assistant that they had my passport. I did not see why, and I could not understand because it would almost be tantamount to rejecting the ruling of a High Court."
