My attention has been drawn to widespread discussions and, in some cases, misinformation regarding the arrest of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla following a petition I submitted to the Nigeria Police Force.
I consider it necessary to address the public directly, not merely as a public official, but as someone deeply pained by the circumstances that have led us here.
Chief Okoi Obono-Obla is not unknown to me. For years, we have shared a relationship that transcended politics. I have related with him as an elder, a mentor, and a father figure. I have sought his counsel, respected his person, and extended to him the kind of regard reserved for those we hold in high esteem.
It is therefore with profound grief that I recount the events that necessitated this petition.
On the 7th of August, 2025, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla and his cohorts led officers of the Nigeria Police Force to my residence in Ugep at about 3 a.m. to conduct a search and forced entry. They alleged that I harbor cultists and kidnappers in my home. This action led to the arrest and detention of my house security guard, Mr. Ebri, Edet Ubi (also known as Edet Omenka), who was taken to Calabar. My properties were also destroyed in the process.
Again, on the 6th of October, 2025, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla publicly accused me of sponsoring cult-related activities, alleging that my actions directly led to the death of an individual.
These are not mere insults or expressions of political discontent. They are grave criminal accusations that strike at the core of my character, my integrity, and my humanity.
As an elected representative, I am not immune to criticism. I have been criticized before and will likely be criticized again. That is the nature of public service. However, there exists a clear and inviolable line between fair criticism and the malicious fabrication of criminal allegations.
For reasons that will be understandable to every father and every son, I did not rush to the police. I withheld my hand. I hoped for a retraction. I hoped for reason to prevail. I hoped that the man I had called father would remember the son he was seeking to destroy.
But the allegations persisted. They spread across communities and social media platforms, poisoning minds and inciting tension. It became evident that silence would be interpreted as admission, and that my name—the only name my children will inherit—was being buried under the weight of falsehood.
I therefore exercised my fundamental right as a citizen to petition the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the veracity of these claims. I did not seek an arrest. I sought the truth.
The arrest of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla was not my doing. It was the outcome of standard police procedure following a formal complaint. I have neither the power nor the desire to dictate the operations of our law enforcement agencies. My role began and ended with the submission of my petition and my willingness to subject myself to investigation.
I repeat: I am ready to face any investigation. If I am guilty of the crimes he accused me of, let the law take its course. But if I am innocent—and I am—then I ask only that the truth be allowed to prevail.
My petition to the police was never only about certificate forgery and obtaining legal entry by false pretenses as some people are trying to make it seem in some parts of the media but defamation of Character and malicious fabrication of criminal allegations against me.
The heart of this matter is this: a man I called father publicly accused me of murder. He and his cohorts sent police to break my door at 3 a.m. He ensured that “murder” and “cult” follow my name wherever it goes. He has worked tirelessly to bury my name under a mountain of falsehood. That is the wound. Everything else is noise.
To the good people of Yakurr 1 State Constituency: I know that rumors are flying. I know that narratives are being twisted. I know that some have already judged me without hearing my side. But I appeal to your sense of fairness.
Ask yourselves:
· Would a man who took a life willingly submit himself to police investigation?
· Would a cult sponsor call for transparency?
· Would a guilty person invite scrutiny?
I have nothing to hide. I have run from no accusation. I have remained in this community, looking every one of you in the eye, because my conscience is clear.
However this matter resolves, I will carry the wound of this betrayal. To be accused by a stranger is one thing. To be accused by a father is another. But I have learned that in life, truth is not determined by relationship. A lie remains a lie even when spoken by a mentor. And truth remains truth even when spoken by a child.
I still hold no hatred in my heart. I still wish Chief Okoi Obono-Obla well. But I cannot and will not allow false accusations of murder to define my existence.
I thank my family, my colleagues, and all who have reached out in support. I remain fully committed to my duties and to the progress of Yakurr 1 State Constituency.
May the truth set us all free.
~ Cyril James Omini
_20th February, 2026._
