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By Christopher Oji
The Nskukka Professional Association (NPA), Enugu State has called on the Inspector -General of Police, Mr. Usman Alkali Baba and other heads of security agencies to fish out the killers of the Labour Party Sentorial Candidate, Mr. Oyibo Chukwu, who was murdered a day before the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The association also raised the alarm over plans by some political gladiators to cause violence during the on coming Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly, especially in Enugu East Senatorial district.
President of the group, Mr. Charles Nwodo, who briefed Journalists on Tuesday in Lagos, said the association and Enugu people in general were appalled that since the gruesome murder of Chukwu, who was politically assassinated , no arrest has been made and nobody has been interrogated.
Nwobodo, appealed to the IGP to deploy a special team of detectives to Enugu with a mandate to apprehend all those directly connected with the heinous crime no matter the status of the person involved.
“We donated N1 million to the family of our slain brother. We want the murder to be thoroughly investigated, and justice served on the guilty in accordance with the law. We don’t want him to die in vain. We also want the police to intervene in election violence and malpractices.
“We have credible intelligence at our disposal that desperate politicians in Enugu are planning to compromise key officials of the Independent Electoral Commission, police, the Nigerian Army, and other security agencies in the state. We also had it on record that some politicians are planning to disenfranchised our people from voting for the candidates of their choice. We called on the INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, to rescue his staff from compromising on the forthcoming Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections, so as to reinforce the credibility of the electoral process.”
Nwodo further said, as a group they also had report that some politicians are planning to import armed thugs and cultists into Enugu North Senatorial zone, adorn them in Police and Army uniforms and deployed them to terrorise voters in the area.
He said, ” we have credible reports of plans by desperate politicians in Enugu State to compromise key officials INEC , the Nigeria Police Force , Army and other security agencies in Enugu State with a view to frustrate the conduct of free, fair and credible elections. We are informed that some INEC officials in the state have been specifically accused of coordinating plots to disenfranchise Enugu voters. We call on Chairman of INEC Professor Mohamood Yakubu to immediately rescue the credibility the staff from all official activities related to the forthcoming election so as to reinforce the credibility of the electoral process and also protect the career of the staff in the event that they are innocent of the allegation.
“There is also plan of politicians to disrupt the election in targeted polling units and wards. We are raising the alarm to call the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabo, DSS, and International Community.
“We want to remind the GOC 82 division, Enugu State, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, Director of State Security Service, Mr. Ayo Adesina, and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, to remember their oaths of office, and the standard operating procedures approved for the 2023 election by the respective agencies.”
