BY AHMED TUKUR, LAFIA – The Nasarawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has warned that it would mobilise its supporters for self-defence against further attacks, stressing that it would henceforth take steps to protect its members against any form of aggression.
This was as it expressed loss of confidence in the ability of the security agencies particularly the Nigeria police, stressing that repeated complaints to security agencies yielded no results.
The state chairman of the party, Aliyu Bello, who stated this on Monday in an interview in Lafia, alleged bias in the handling of security-related matters.
Bello expressed concerns over what it described as the failure of the police to provide adequate protection to citizens, adding that the police refused to act on several petitions submitted by the party over alleged attacks on its members and supporters.
The State APC chairman described the police as ineffective in carrying out their constitutional responsibility of protecting citizens, regardless of their political affiliations.
According to Bello; “It is their responsibility to defend all citizens, including the SDP and APC, but if they cannot, I will not sleep in my house. Someone will come and kill me. The police took sides in the state’s political activities. Our party has completely lost confidence in the security agency.
“We have completely lost confidence in the security, especially the police. They have taken sides. Quote me anywhere,” Bello said.
The APC chairman who spoke against the backdrop of a protest staged by the APC and supporters at the state Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) commands in Lafia, said that the protesters demanded a full-scale investigation into the violence that reportedly erupted during the APC presidential campaign rally held last Wednesday.
While addressing security officials during the protest, Bello explained that the demonstration was aimed at promoting peace, unity and decent political conduct in the state.
He lamented what he described as repeated and unprovoked attacks on APC supporters by members of the opposition, adding that the party had submitted several petitions identifying individuals allegedly responsible for the attacks.
“We came here to demand justice, that a full-scale investigation should be carried out and the perpetrators of this act should be arrested and prosecuted,” Bello said.
He also accused supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate and former Inspector-General of Police, Abubakar Adamu, of inciting violence through what he described as provocative statements.
Responding to the protesters, the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration and Finance, Gaya Ahmed, assured them that the police remained neutral in political matters.
“The IGP has made it clear that the police are neutral, and we will continue to maintain that neutrality,” Ahmed said.
He assured the protesters that all grievances formally presented to the police would be investigated, adding that anyone found culpable would be arrested and prosecuted, irrespective of their status.
Similarly, the Deputy Director of Administration of the DSS said the command had taken note of the protesters’ grievances and would communicate them to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
However, the campaign council of the Nasarawa State SDP governorship candidate, Abubakar Adamu, has distanced itself from the allegations.
In a statement signed by its Director of Digital Communication, Douglas Otaru, the campaign council described the protest and allegations as laughable.
It questioned why a sitting government would allegedly create tension in a state where it was expected to protect citizens, urging the APC to look inward to identify the source of its challenges rather than drag Adamu into what it described as political sabotage by its own members.
The SDP campaign council maintained that the APC should resolve its internal political challenges instead of making allegations against the opposition.
He said that the allegation are sign of a drowning party that has lost the mandate of the people it swore to serve and protect.
