OoThe All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has called on the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to intervene in the harassment of its members in some parts of the state.
APC chairman in the state, Isaac Kekemeke, in a petition to the IGP, which was obtained by our correspondent, on Sunday, alleged that members of the Armed Forces and the police were working with a private security outfit owned by an ex-militant to molest and assault APC members in Ese-Odo area of the state.
He said the ex-militant, popularly known as General Shoot at Sight, is a known PDP leader in the riverine communities of the state.
He said, “The combined team of soldiers and policemen, without regard to law and due process, have imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the waterways of Ese-Odo Local Government Area, particularly the waterways from the Akotogbo junction of Arogbo Ward 1 to Arogbo Ward 3, Ukparama 1 and 2 wards. Our party members have been severely molested and physically assaulted on the basis of this capricious curfew.”
Kekemeke recalled that on January 24, 2015, some APC members from Arogbo Ward 3, Ukparama 1 and 2 wards, who were returning to their villages from the APC presidential rally at Akure, were prevented from continuing their journey and were forced to sleep in their canoes and boats just because it was 6pm.
He noted that in spite of this curfew, General shoot at sight and other PDP members had free access to the waterways at any time of the day and night.
He said the law did not permit a private security outfit to impose a curfew, urging the IG to immediately stop “the embarrassing situation.”
The party chief said, “We, therefore, appeal to you to quickly take appropriate steps as this is foisting untold hardship on our party members on one hand and conferring advantage on the PDP members on the other hand.
“We take this seriously because there is clearly an indication by the ex-militant and the PDP to take advantage of this in the general elections by using the combined team of the private security men and soldiers to compromise the elections.”
Copyright PUNCH
