Reports about the alleged kidnapping of Kalu Mba Nwoke, a member of the Abia State House of Assembly, have been denied by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Abia State, Mr. Chukwudi Eke Mba. Instead, Eke Mba clarified that Nwoke was arrested, not kidnapped, for his involvement in election interference on Saturday.

According to Eke Mba, Nwoke, who represents the Ohafia South constituency, was accused of leading a group of thugs to the Ohafia local government secretariat in Ebem. The group allegedly tried to intimidate voters and hijack electoral materials during the election process. Eke Mba emphasized that Nwoke’s actions were illegal, as attempting to disrupt the electoral process is a criminal offense.

This clarification came after Etigwe Uwa (SAN), a prominent lawyer, had publicly claimed that Nwoke was unlawfully arrested, beaten, and detained on election day. Uwa also suggested that security agencies acted on orders from the Deputy Governor.

However, Eke Mba strongly refuted these allegations, stating that the Deputy Governor, Ikechuckwu Emetu, had no involvement in the arrest. He further stated that the arrest was carried out lawfully in response to Nwoke’s actions that threatened to disrupt the election.

It has been reported that Nwoke was released by the police on Sunday, a day after his arrest. The Deputy Governor’s office made it clear that there was no political kidnapping before or during the election in Ohafia.