Home/News/Akhigbe condemns ‘Abuja interest’ in Edo violence

Akhigbe condemns ‘Abuja interest’ in Edo violence

By Friday Olokor and James Azania 

Former Chief of General Staff, Admiral Mike Akhigbe, has condemned the killing of three persons in a clash between supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party and Action Congress of Nigeria in Fugar, headquarters of Etsako Central Local Government of Edo State on Thursday.

He also  called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed  Abubakar, to fish out those behind the killings.

Akhigbe, in a statement on Saturday, condemned what he described as “show of power by Abuja” in the matter.

“That is why people no longer respect the police in Edo State,” Akhigbe said.

The ACN chairmanship candidate for the area in the April 20 council election, Emma Momoh, was arrested and taken to Abuja, on Thursday, over the matter.

The former CGS warned the police not to allow themselves to be used by “desperate politicians.”

He said, “I was also told that the PDP chairmanship candidate in the area brought militants to cause trouble in my area. People should be allowed to chose their leaders. Thuggery is outdated. This impunity of arresting people and taking them to Abuja is rubbishing the police and it is not good for their image.

“What our people have done in killing themselves is a taboo, it has never happened before. I do not know how the elders are going to handle that.

“We will make sure that the police fish out the killers and I will make that clear to Mr. President. Anybody who kills must pay the price.

“People must learn that democracy has come to stay in Edo State and their former orientation of rigging is over.”

Meanwhile, a group, Democracy for Nigeria, has called on security agencies to commence investigation into the killings in the state.

The group also said, “if the Edo LG election is properly monitored and observed, it will go a long way in helping Nigeria in future elections.”

The national coordinator of DFN, Chief Godstime Osagie Adun, who raised the alarm,  in a statement also condemned alleged public declarations by Governor Adams  Oshiomhole that “we have perfected strategies to beat them in their game”. He described the statement as  “unwholesome, undemocratic and disappointing at this time of the nation’s democracy”.

But the Special Adviser to the Governor on  Media and Communications, Mr. Kassim Afegbua, charged the critics to go and campaign.

He said, “It is easy to make allegation but they are not campaigning. The governor has covered 17 local governments in his campaign tours. But some people just sit down idling themselves without campaigning. If Oshiomhole wants to rig  election, he won’t bother to campaign.”

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