…says 22 party members under surveillance
…Case has been transferred to Abuja – CP Adegboye
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Edo State Police Command of selective justice, alleging that about 22 members and leaders of the party have been pencilled down to be arrested in connection with the Benin airport attack.
This is as the Edo State Police Command has denied such allegation, saying the case has been transferred to Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The said airport attack, which occurred on Thursday, July 18, 2024, led to the death of a police officer attached to the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Monday Okpebholo, while several persons were injured.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday, chairman of the PDP in Edo State, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, alleged that the police have placed 22 members and leaders of PDP under surveillance following a petition written by the APC to the police.
He alleged that a tactical team of policemen was deployed from Abuja to arrest and harass the party’s members over the Benin airport attack, saying the police was acting on the APC petition while ignoring the one written by the PDP.
The PDP state chairman further alleged that there were many instances where the police acted in manners that suggested they are a wing of the APC.
Citing an example, he said that the Deputy Director General, Media and Publicity for the PDP Election Campaign Council, Reverend Olu Martins, was a few weeks ago invited and arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force based on a petition against him, and was subsequently arraigned in Court and granted bail after meeting the necessary bail conditions set by the trial judge.
“Conversely, however, I, as the chairman of the PDP in Edo State wrote a petition over comments by the chairman of the State’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where he threatened to mobilise and lead youths to stone the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, which is clearly a recipe for violence and chaos in the State, given the sensitivity of the Office of the Governor,” Aziegbemi said.
“A video evidence of this threat and an accompanying petition was submitted to the Commissioner of Police in Edo State.
“Surprisingly, no action has been taken on the matter since the petition was submitted, unlike the swift manner in which the Police responded to the petition against the Deputy Director General, Media and Publicity for the PDP Campaign Council,” he said.
He further said following the Benin airport shooting, a petition was again submitted to the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, to which video evidence and a newspaper publication of the incident clearly identifying “thugs and members of the APC who carried out this wanton destruction of property and breach of public peace”.
“Unfortunately and predictably, the Police Commissioner has failed to act on this petition and none of the people have been arrested.
“Rather, they have deployed a tactical team of policemen from Abuja to arrest and harass at least 22 members and leaders of the PDP in Edo State, who are currently under heavy surveillance, in connection with the said public disturbance of Thursday, July 18, even though there is no evidence to show that they were at the scene of the said event,” he said.
Aziegbemi advised the police to keep to its professional mandate and not act as an instrument in the hands of politicians.
He also called on the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the actual criminals are brought to book, urging him to safeguard and uphold democracy within the state as the police must be seen to uphold the rule of law.
But reacting to the allegations, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, said the case has been transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja.
“I don’t know what they meant by selective justice. Let’s save your time, the case has been transferred to Abuja. Whatever observations or comments anybody has should be directed to Abuja,” DAILY POST quoted the police commissioner as saying.
