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From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Cross River State chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council has rejected senior police officers allegedly deployed to Cross River State to monitor the general elections.
IPAC said this is in response to intelligence that some police officers alleged to be of questionable character have been listed to be sent to the state.
The state IPAC chairman, Comrade Anthony Bissong Attach, who disclosed this in a press conference in Calabar on Wednesday, questioned their mode of selection and deployment, saying it is well planned with the intention of rigging the pending general elections.
In his words, “Through our security intelligence, we recently peeped into the list of police officers deployed to Cross River State and we are very curious because some of the officers and men are of questionable pedigree.
“We have it on good authority that the following officers CP Garba Aliyu (Overall election CP), CP Stanley Use (South), CP Akinwale Adenirun (Central) and D P Elias Eliegwu ( North).
“We are deeply concerned and obviously worried to note that the leader of the team is an officer who as commissioner of police in Ebonyo state was allegedly responsible for all the crisis and atrocities in the neighbouring state.
“CP Garba Aliyu is alleged to have a penchant for supporting none state actors in their bid to unleash mayhem on the citizens of the state.
“His alleged open support for Ebubeagu has been responsible for the killings, destruction of properties and general state of insecurity in Ebonyo state.
“He is a highly compromised officer known for being a ready and easy tool in the hands of the government of the day. He is the one behind the strangulation of opposition parties in Ebonyi state.
“We are also curious about the formation of new Tactical Units opposite Cross River State Governors Office to be trained and used for election to be headed by CSP Bayero (from Abuja command).
“These new units formed are drafted from Puff Adder, Sabotage, Anti-kidnapping, SPU and Mopol.
“We hereby unanimously reject the above list of officers especially the head of the team as it is our considered opinion that this deployment is a well-planned agenda to use security to rig the 2023 general election”, he said.
The IPAC chairman added that with the dented records of compromise and notoriety for human rights abuses, any elections conducted under the supervision of CP Garba Aliyu will be questionable.
He called on the Inspector general of police to immediately review the list of officers due to be posted to Cross River State for election duties.
Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer in Cross River, SP Irene Ugbo, said the Command has remained resolute and most professional in the discharge of its constitutional duty of protection of lives and property.
She said the tactical Unit will work for anybody except for the success of the polls, adding “they are non-partisan and will never take a side and urge all parties involved to remain calm and law-abiding as there was no cause for alarm.
“We are not police for any political party, we are police for the entire citizenry, our duty is to protect lives and property, and we won’t violate that to please anybody.
“So anyone caught breaking the law, shall be arrested and prosecuted according to the electoral act. No man or woman no matter their standing is above the law. All the political gladiators should caution their numerous supporters,” she said.
