NDDC Boss Ogbuku Breaks Silence, Denies Detention Amid Alleged Coup Probe

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Samuel Ogbuku, on Thursday addressed agricultural stakeholders in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, amid swirling social media rumors claiming he had been arrested.

Speaking at a two-day strategic meeting ahead of an agricultural summit, Ogbuku urged the Niger Delta to diversify beyond oil and leverage agriculture as a catalyst for sustainable development.

“Agriculture has the potential to transform the Niger Delta’s economy while generating new growth and employment opportunities,” Ogbuku stated.

The meeting, attended by Commissioners of Agriculture and Permanent Secretaries from the region, centered on repositioning agriculture as a critical driver of regional development.

Responding to the rumors, All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and ally of Ogbuku, Yekini Nabena, dismissed the alleged arrest as “false and politically motivated.”

In a statement to Vanguard, Nabena said, “Yesterday, fabricated reports circulated on social media claiming that Dr. Sam Ogbuku had been arrested. Yet this morning, he was live in Port Harcourt addressing the ongoing agricultural summit, broadcast on two national TV stations. This should shame the purveyors of fake news.”

He further described Ogbuku as “one of the trusted and reliable hands” in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration, emphasizing that the NDDC chief remains committed to his mandate.

The arrest speculation followed reports of a raid on the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva by Defence Headquarters operatives in connection with an alleged coup plot against President Tinubu’s government.