- Accuses Police of bias, threatens self-help
BY AHMED TUKUR, LAFIA – The Nasarawa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to handle matters its way to protect members and supporters against political aggression, claiming total breakdown of trust in local security agencies to stay neutral in discharging their constitutional duties.
Driven by what it described as deep-seated institutional failure, the ruling party declared losing confidence completely in the police’s ability to safeguard citizens or protect party faithful from violent targeting by opposition forces in the State.
The State Party chairman, Aliyu Bello, who announced the hardline stance during an interview in Lafia, the state capital on Monday, indicated that security-related matters are not receiving priority attention and expressed concerns over the Police’s failure to provide adequate protection for all citizens.
Bello’s declaration marks a sharp escalation in regional political tensions, with the ruling party accusing law enforcement of blatant bias, willfully ignoring a paper trail of urgency, and failing to investigate or act upon multiple formal petitions filed by the APC, documenting coordinated attacks against its members and supporters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In its scathing indictment of the authorities, Bello said with security agencies allegedly compromised, the APC leadership may be forced to opt for self-defence as an unavoidable necessity, alleging the Police ineptitude in carrying out their constitutional responsibility of protecting citizens, regardless of their political affiliations.
“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,” he said, further claiming that it is disappointing the Police are taking sides in ongoing political activities across the State.
Strongly insisting that they are not comfortable with the way things are panning out, the APC said, “We have completely lost confidence in the security, especially the police. They have taken sides. Quote me anywhere.”
The APC Chairman, who warned that the party and its supporters may resort to self-defence since repeated complaints to security agencies have yielded no results, said: “If we are attacked, we will defend ourselves. We have written several letters, and there was no action.”
He spoke against the backdrop of a protest staged by the Party supporters at the State Police Command, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) headquarters in Lafia.
The protesters frowned at the violence that reportedly disrupted the APC presidential campaign rally last Wednesday and demanded a full-scale probe of the unfortunate incident with Bello informing the top security officials that the demonstration was meant to promote peace, unity and decent political conduct across the state.
He said the APC has endured repeated and unprovoked attacks on its supporters by 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, accusing supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate and former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Abubakar Adamu, of inciting violence through what he considered provocative public statements.
Addressing the protesters, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration and Finance, Gaya Ahmed, assured them that the police remained neutral in political matters, saying: “The IGP has made it clear that the police are neutral, and we will continue to maintain that neutrality.”
While assuring the protesters that all grievances formally presented to the Police would be investigated, he said anyone found culpable would be arrested and prosecuted, irrespective of their status.
Similarly, the DSS’ Deputy Director of Administration said the Agency has 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, describing the protest and allegations as laughable.
In a statement signed by its Director of Digital Communication, Douglas Otaru, the Council 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 and identify the source of its challenges rather than drag Adamu into what it considered political sabotage by its own members.
The SDP urged the APC to resolve its internal political challenges instead of pointing accusing fingers at the opposition, insisting the allegations are signs of a drowning party that has lost the People’s mandate which it swore to serve and protect.
