By: Olalekan Olabulo
An Enugu State-based group, Nskukka Professional of Association (NPA) has called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Baba Akali to arrest the killers of Enugu East Senatorial candidate of the Labour Party, Oyibo Chukwu, who was murdered days before the February 25th election.
The group, a non-partisan association also raised the alarm over an attempt by some unnamed people to cause violence and rig the forthcoming Governorship and House of Assembly elections.
President of the group Charles Nwodo Jnr, while speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Lagos also called on security agencies in Enugu State to be proactive ahead of the Saturday elections.
Nwodo said, “The brutal assassination of the Labour Party candidate for Enugu East Senatorial in the days preceding the February 25th elections by individuals, who are yet to be apprehended We are appalled that no arrests have been made and suspects have been interrogated by the police and other security agencies in the state to date.”
The group called on the IGP to “deploy a special team of detectives to Enugu with a mandate to apprehend all those directly connected with the heinous crime no matter the status or influence of the person involved.”
NPA also continued, “Out of pity we donated one million nairas to the family of our slain politician’ s brother killed. We want the crime to be thoroughly investigated and justice is served on the guilty in accordance with the law.
“We don’t want him to die in vain. We also want to the police to intervene in election violence and malpractices.”
The group also averred that “We have credible intelligence at our disposal that desperate politicians in Enugu are planning to compromise key officials of Independent National Electoral Commission,( INEC ) police, the army and other security agencies in the state. ”
“We also had it on record that some politicians are planning to disenfranchise our people from voting for the candidates of their choice. We called on the INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu to rescue his staff from compromising on the forthcoming governorship and national assembly election so as to reinforce the credibility of the electoral process.”
The group’s president also raised the alarm that there are plans by politicians to import armed thugs and cultists in military uniform to foment trouble in the state.
Nwodo said: “The Plan of the politicians is to disrupt the election in targeted polling units and wards. We are raising the alarm to invite the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabo, DSS, and the International Community.”
“We remind the GOC 82 division, Enugu State, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, Director of State Security Service, Mr Ayo Adesina and the Resident Electoral Commission, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu to remember their oaths of office and the standard operating procedures approved for the 2023 election by the respective agencies,” the group said.
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