In yet another display of impunity and propensity for bloodshed , the Kogi East Zonal Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Mr Ahmed Attah was caught on video threatening violence against electorates in the zone suspected of desiring to vote against the outgoing Governor of Kogi State, Mr Yahaya Bello.
While addressing a rally of APC supporters in Igala Language on Sunday the APC executive said ” anyone who knows his purpose for going to the polls is not to vote for Bello should not dare to come home!”
The desperation of the outgoing government in Kogi State to return itself to power through the force of arms is no longer a secret, but we are alarmed at the impudence of this public declaration of violence against law abiding citizens willing to carry out their most fundamental civic duty in a democracy.
Of course there were security agents present at this rally, but Mr Attah walked away free after this treasonable utterance which he’s sure to execute.
The outgoing government’s campaign of violence has flourished and escalated this far because the security agencies in Kogi State have continued to demonstrate a lack of will to rein in the thugs and bandits it has unleashed on the people.
In fact there are video records of confessed political killers who have been set free by the Kogi State Police Command only to return to their communities to institute a reign of terror and intimidation.
For instance the killers of Ojo Enesi, a young supporter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Miss Natasha Akpoti who was executed in cold blood on January 12, 2019 were apprehended and brought to the Kogi State Police Command in Lokoja where they confessed to the murder in an interrogation recorded on video. But the very next day they were released by the police after the intervention of officials of the Kogi State Government. There’s no indication that they were ever re-arrested let alone prosecuted.
On the day of the rescheduled presidential elections an 18 year old lad, Daniel Omale wanting to exercise his right to vote for the first time was mowed down in a hail of bullets in cold blood by APC thugs after he rejected overtures to vote for their party. The culprits were Identified and reported to the police but there’s no record of arrest till now.
Similarly an APC Chieftain who brought in armed thugs and instructed them to open fire on a PDP Polling Unit Agent, one Abu John Simon at Inele Ugo unit in Olamaboro LGA, during the last House of Assembly Election is still walking free while Late Abu lies decomposing in his grave.
It should also be recalled that in the early hours of September 4, despite the presence over 300 armed policemen, several DSS personnel and Civil Defence officers unknown gun men attacked the PDP Primaries shooting sporadically wounding many delegates and observers. The Lokoja Stadium venue of the event is about 500 meters to the state DSS Headquarters.
So implicated are the Kogi based security agencies in the outgoing government’s reign of terror in the state that even the Nigeria Army hierarchy in the state is not spared of complicity.
On Tuesday April 2, 2019 the Army Headquarters publicly exposed attempts by its Commander in Lokoja to use soldiers to aid the government in forcefully evicting the State Chief Judge from his official residence and “warned the commander in the state to stay of the conflict and not to interfere under any guise.” In a statement issued by its spokesman Col. Sagir Musa.
It is therefore clear why the APC Zonal vice chairman had the temerity to publicly threaten violence against persons determined to vote against the failed government whose only legacy is that of violence, hunger and poverty.
This campaign is therefore demanding that the Kogi State Police Command and the Directorate of State Security (DSS) immediately arrest and prosecute this savage and unrestrained chieftain whose threats against voters is clearly treasonable.
We challenge the Inspector-General of Police and the Director General of DSS to immediately give an undertaking to the people of Kogi State that their men will play their constitutional role of providing security, preventing crimes and apprehending criminals without partisanship or partially in the impending elections.
If this criminal is left to go scot free like the several murderers that have killed our people without penalties then we shall be constrained to conclude that these two constitutional agencies have already compromised the security of the elections, the people and democracy in Kogi State even before the date of the election.
