Edo guber: Arresting Abure is an insult to democracy — Kenneth Okonkwo
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Former Labour Party Presidential Council spokesman, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has described the humiliating arrest of the party’s national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure by joint security operatives on Wednesday in Benin city, the capital of Edo State as an ‘insult to democracy ‘.
Okonkwo who lambasted the Edo State police Command in a statement he made available to NewsBand said it is a shame that the ‘incompetent Edo Police PRO’, who obviously displayed absolute lack of knowledge of law, could use the phrase “Factional National Chairman” for Abure.
The fiery spokesman of LP said it was purely a political statement that the police force, as a non- partisan organisation, is forbidden to make.
Speaking further in the statement, Kenneth Okonkwo noted that the attempt to disorganise Labour Party on the eve of its Edo gubernatorial primary election when APC and PDP failed to conduct theirs successfully shows that the arrest is a political arrow shot against Labour Party to achieve the disorganisation of the primary election.
The statement reads, “The ill-advised arrest and manhandling of the National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure, by an obvious partisan Edo Police Command, is an insult to democracy.
“It is a shame that the incompetent Edo Police PRO, who obviously displayed absolute lack of knowledge of law, could use the phrase “Factional National Chairman” for Abure. This is purely a political statement that the police force, as a non- partisan organisation, is forbidden to make.
“Attempting to disorganise Labour Party on the eve of organising its Edo gubernatorial primary election when APC and PDP have failed to conduct theirs successfully shows that the arrest is a political arrow shot against Labour Party to achieve the disorganisation of the primary election.
“The job of the police is the maintenance of law and order, not to forment anarchy. What was so urgent in the arrest of Abure that couldn’t wait until after the gubernatorial primary of LP in Edo. If Abure committed any breach of the law, he should be dealt with in accordance with the law not in accordance with brute force.
“Why has Edo Police not arrested APC Leaders who openly used thugs to scatter the APC Gubernatorial primary election? They were rather quick in arresting Abure who was not even present when Edo people resisted some persons who wanted to extort money from them under the false pretence that they were Labour Party officials trying to organise gubernatorial primary elections in Edo.
“Rather than arresting the extortionists, and the impostors, the Police is arresting the legitimate Labour Party officials in Edo. This must stop.”
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Recall that the spokesman of the command in Edo State, Tijani Momoh while confirming the arrest of Abure said he was taken into custody following a petition against him over alleged assault, molestation, and illegal possession of firearms.
“It has to do with a written petition that was endorsed by the AIG Zone 5 from the office of the Inspector General of Police
“There are video clips, recordings of the petitioner being assaulted, being beaten when he came home last year to conduct ward matters,” Momoh said.
“It is a case of attempted murder, conspiracy, illegal possession of arms and other related offences.
“They were also in possession of firearms; a short gun and three rounds of ammunition.
“Investigation is ongoing. They were just arrested today. More details will be provided later,” the police image maker added.
