Demolished hotel: Wanted ex-PDP Youth Leader speaks from hiding, alleges frame up

Friday, May 15, 2020 6:35 pm

Mr Princewill Osaroejiji, PDP Eleme LGA youth leader declared wanted by the Rivers State Government.

…I was framed up by PDP leaders who wanted to destroy me because of politics

…Photographs of those allegedly injured during the alleged fracas with my group in the demolished hotel were mere photo shoot to deceive people

…l want meet with the Governor Wike to clear my name.

…l am not the owner of Prodest hotel. I did attack Covid- 19 Task Force

Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt

Wanted former Eleme Local Government Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Youth leader, Princewill Osareojiji, has blamed a serving Commissioner in Governor Nyesom Wike’s cabinet for his current travails.

Osareojiji, who spoke for the first time since he was declared wanted exclusively with Nigeriainfo fm, a Port Harcourt based radio station from hiding alleged that he was framed by some senior PDP members from Eleme and that the Commissioner who, according to him, is at the head of the plot is also his kinsman.

He also dismissed the allegation that he lead hoodlums to Prodest Hotel to attack members of Covid-19 Task Force in Eleme.

Reliving his version of the event of last Saturday which led to the demolition of Prodest Hotel the next day, Osarejiji said, “That day l was called by the Manager of Prodest Hotel complaining that there some men came there demanding for money because that hotel had been shutdown for long. When I got there, I discovered that they were people I nominated into the Covid-19 Task Force.

One of the injured Rivers State COVID-19 Task Force member. Osaeroejiji said the photographs are staged

“They were just four persons. How can I beat up people I nominated? I told them that asking for bribes from a hotel that was not in operation was wrong and that was not the mandate of the Governor.

“I asked them if the hotel was in operation, and even if it was, do they need to extort money from the hotel management? Some political leaders want to fight me that was why they misinformed the Governor about me and Governor believed them without hearing from me.”

“I want the Governor to call all the Chiefs, Elders of PDP in Eleme to know the truth. I was set up and framed up.”

Osareojiji alleged the photographs of those claimed to be injured and lying critically ill in the hospital bed after a fight with his group at the hotel circulated to the press and in social media are stage-managed.

“Nobody beat anybody. Those photos with people on bandages in hospital are all lies. When Governor brought the Eleme Local Government share of food palliatives on Sunday, all those people feigning ill in the hospital were all sharing food and every Ward went with their own. Some of them were seen sharing food on Monday.

“How can you after sharing food on Monday, morning and later in the evening you go and lie down on the hospital bed with your body bandaged? If they were beaten up and hospitalized, could they be seen sharing food on Monday and everybody saw them”.

Demolition of Prodest and Etemeteh Hotels in photos.

Osareojiji pleaded that he would want Governor Wike to hear his own side of the story, while insisting that he is not a cultist.

“I am neither a cultist or a kidnapper as alleged. I fight cultistism and kidnapping in Eleme. I’m married for the past 17 years and have never been in handcuffs or arrested for any crimes. Those who want me out of the way decided to frame me by passing misinformation to the Governor.”

On what his future plans are, Osareojiji said: “I want to meet with I Governor to clear my name. He should give me fair hearing.

He further clarified that he is not the owner of the demolished Prodest hotel as alleged by the state government.

“The owner of the Prodest hotel lives in Lagos. I saw him last five years ago. If I see him now, I may not recognize him. All these are framed stories concocted to destroy me”.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has said that one person died from injuries sustained during an attack allegedly led by Osareojiji at Prodest Hotel.

The State Government has also acquired the land of the demolished for the construction of a primary school.

Nsirim, Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, told journalists that Governor Wike has approved the building of a Primary School on the land the demolished hotel was located for the Eleme people.