The reports, which circulated online earlier in the week, claimed Ogbuku was detained in connection with an alleged security raid on the Abuja residence of former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva.
However, one of his close associates and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Yekini Nabena, dismissed the claims as “false, politically motivated and intended to distract the NDDC boss from his developmental mission.”
Speaking at a two-day strategic meeting ahead of an upcoming agricultural summit, Ogbuku called on the South-South region to “look beyond oil” and embrace agriculture as a driver of sustainable economic growth.
He stressed that agriculture holds the potential to transform the Niger Delta economy, create jobs, and enhance food security across the region.
The meeting brought together Commissioners of Agriculture and Permanent Secretaries from all the Niger Delta states, who discussed strategies to strengthen agribusiness and rural development.
While Ogbuku did not address the arrest rumours directly, Nabena, in a separate statement to Vanguard, said:
“We woke up to fabricated social media reports that Dr. Sam Ogbuku was arrested. For what reason? This morning, he was live in Port Harcourt speaking at the ongoing agricultural summit, broadcast on two national TV stations. This should put the purveyors of fake news to shame.”
Nabena described Ogbuku as one of the “trusted and reliable hands” in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration, urging the public to disregard what he called “malicious attempts” to tarnish the image of the NDDC boss.
