Professor Itotenaan Henry Ogiri has issued a strong denial of allegations made by the wife of the recently resigned Head of Service of Rivers State, Dr. George Nwaeke, who claimed her husband is missing and potentially held hostage. In a press release issued on March 29, 2025, Ogiri refuted the accusations, labeling them “poorly rehearsed theatrics.”
The controversy erupted following a viral social media video where Dr. Nwaeke’s wife alleged that Ogiri had contacted her husband from Abuja, requesting his presence for discussions and offering to cover his flight expenses. She further implored “Ogiri from Abua” to return her husband.
Ogiri, a former member of the Rivers State cabinet, categorically denied any involvement in Dr. Nwaeke’s alleged disappearance. He clarified that while they are friends and colleagues, their last conversation occurred between late 2023 and early 2025, long before the current situation.
Ogiri challenged the veracity of the wife’s claims, suggesting that call logs from telephone service providers and travel records from airlines would corroborate his account. He expressed suspicion that the allegations might be orchestrated by Dr. Nwaeke himself, stating that such a scenario would warrant a different perspective.
HERE IS THE PRESS RELEASE BY PROFESSOR ITOTENAAN HENRY OGIRI
Early this morning, the 29th of March 2025, my attention was drawn to a viral social media video in which the wife of the recently resigned Head of Service of Rivers State Government alleged that her husband is missing and may have been held hostage.
Of note is the fact that the woman in the viral video was accusing me of putting a call from Abuja across to her husband and had asked that the husband come over to Abuja so can discuss some certain matters. She even alleged that I offered to pay for the flight ticket of the husband. (Who is supposed to pay for whose ticket? ).
More worrying is the fact that the woman is asking her interviewers to tell Ogiri from Abua to bring her husband back to her. Nothing can be further from the truth.
Let me state clearly that:
- That was a poorly rehearsed theatrics
- While Dr George Nwaeke is my friend and a professional colleague, we have only spoken once since I left the Rivers State cabinet in November 2023. I think that should be late last year or early this year.
- I came to PH from Abuja on the 28th of February 2025 (the date the Supreme Court gave judgment on Rivers State) and haven’t travelled out of Rivers State till date. I have been working at our PH office while also preparing for the burial of my foster father, which took place last Saturday, 22nd of March 2025.
- I haven’t spoken with Dr George Nwaeke since the Supreme Court judgment. And if this allegation was from Dr. George Nwaeke himself, then I would have viewed this from a different perspective.
However, thank God telephone service providers are able to provide call logs as well as conversations thereon. And airlines are also able to provide evidence to contradict my claim of haven’t travelled out of Rivers State in the last one month. - While we await to see how the unfolding drama and tissue of lies play out, I urge my relatives, friends, supporters, associates, leaders, and the general public to be rest assured that the truth shall be unveiled in no time.
Thank you, and God bless you.
Signed: Prof Itotenaan Henry Ogiri, DSSRS
