the All Progressive Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP continue to claim brutal murder of their members by the other.
While governor Chibuike Amaechi alleged recently that over thirty
members of his APC have been gunned down in Rivers state in political
related circumstances the PDP governorship candidate, Barr Nyesom Wike
on his part said over 45 PDP members have also been killed on account
of their political affiliation. He said this when he addressed a team
from the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC led by the Chairman,
Prof Chidi Odinakalu in Port Harcourt.
The two parties have continued to evidence some of their claims with
names of alleged members killed. Governor Amaechi at a press briefing
in Government House, Port Harcourt, reeled out about eight names of
members of his party he said were killed at different locations in the
state recently, adding that about thirty members of his party had been
arrested by the Police on what he termed frivolous reasons.
The APC and the PDP have also lashed at the police for allegedly being
biased. The PDP governorship candidate, Barr Wike alleged that the
governor and his APC maintain a killer squad in the police , code
named C4I and urged the Inspector General of Police to immediately
disband the body
"Amaechi and APC brewed the crisis in Rivers State through their
illegal actions and acts of violence against the PDP. Since this year,
we have lost over 40 PDP members murdered by armed agents of the APC
and members of the See for Eye, C4I, Police team directly answerable
to Governor Amaechi.
"We call on Inspector General of Police to, as a matter of urgency,
disband Amaechi's hit squad called C4I used to kill our members before
the general elections. We will, otherwise, be compelled to defend
ourselves against the killings", he said.
The APC on its part accused the Police of conspiring with the PDP to
harass, intimidate and arrest its members, saying the move were part
of plots to rig the elections for the PDP.
"Unfortunately the Nigeria Police force in Rivers state has led to a
great escalation of these acts of killings, unlawful arrests and
detention on frivolous and unsubstantiated reasons as well as constant
and un-abating harassment using the very same police meant to protect
all sides.
"The most ridiculous is that the Police whom we are supposed to run to
for protection have commenced the withdrawal of Police security for
top APC members including that of gubernatorial candidate, Dr Dakuku
Peterside", Amaechi said.
Amaechi further said the reported withdrawal of Policemen from his
party's governorship candidate was a likely step towards executing an
alleged scheme to assassinate Peterside.
Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG zone 6, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin
who responded to the allegations by the various parties on the Police
said they were not true.
According to him, the Police would continue to discharge their
responsibility professionally in all states under his zone. To
reassure the political parties of the neutrality of the police he said
he had to order that men of the C4I should no longer be deplored to
protect politicians, adding that they should also not be posted to
campaign rallies of any of the political parties any longer.
" The C4I unit should henceforth stop featuring in political
campaigns. The C4I Unit of the Department of Operations should on no
account post their officers to any political appointee or VIP;", he
said.
Also the state Police Public relations officer, DSP Ahmad Muhammad
who declined comment on the allegation of arrest of APC members
indiscriminately by the Police said most of them were being tried at a
federal High court in Port Harcourt for criminal offences. "The matter
is in court so I will not want to comment on an issue before the
court", he told the Vanguard.
Residents of the state have also expressed worries over political and
cult related killings in the state.
According to Sopriye David it had been difficult to draw a line
between cult and political killings in the state because of the
elections around the corner.
According to him, most of the cult groups have been recruited by the
political class to prosecute their interest in the coming elections.
"So the killings you see are both political and cult- related.
Read more at Vangiuard:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/rivers-boils-killings-everywhere-politicians-hire-cultists/
No comments:
Post a Comment