The Akewugberu family in Oyo has accused the Nigerian Army of abducting a transporter and Oyo APC chief Moruf Akintunde, holding him incommunicado for weeks.
The family is appealing to Governor Seyi Makinde to secure his release, allegedly arrested by Operation Burst operatives 15 days ago.
Mr Akintunde was arrested in his residence at Alhaja Sara Street, Cele, in Oyo town at about 6:00 a.m. on November 18 and taken to an unknown destination.
Operation Burst is a security outfit of the Oyo government, consisting of the Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Speaking with journalists in Ibadan on Wednesday evening, on behalf of the family, an Islamic cleric, Taofeek Akewugbagold, said no fewer than 40 fully armed security operatives invaded Akintunde’s residence on that day of his arrest.
The 52-year-old Akintunde is a transporter and an APC chieftain.
Mr Akewugbagold noted an urgent need for the state governor to intervene and help the family secure the release of Mr Akintunde.
He said, “It is exactly 15 days ago that my brother and father of four was taken away by the Nigerian Army in a vehicle belonging to the Oyo State security outfit codenamed ‘Operation Burst’.”
The cleric said the family got wind that Mr Akintunde was held at a military base in Abuja.
“I am here today to appeal to the Nigerian military to release my brother. He was arrested in our family house in Oyo Town 15 days ago and has yet to be released. The military men came with vehicles of Operation Burst,” Mr Akewugbagold added. “His son followed him to the Operation Burst office in Oyo, but we heard he had been taken to Abuja for reasons not known to us.”
When contacted, Abubakar Adamu, the admin officer of Operation Burst, confirmed the arrest of Mr Akintunde.
According to him, the arrest followed a directive from Abuja.
“I am aware of the arrest, but it is from Abuja. The family had contacted me, and I told them it was beyond us here. We received (a) signal to support them with logistics, and that was why we released our vehicles to carry out the operation,” Mr Adamu explained.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
