… IGP meets with factions

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

INSPECTOR General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase, yesterday, met with two factional lead­ers of the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP), Sena­tor Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

The meeting took place at the Police Headquar­ters, Louis Edet House, Abuja behind closed doors.

The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes.

Although the outcome of the meeting was not made public, Daily Sun gathered that the meet­ing centered on a per­ceived threat to security in Abuja by suspected supporters of the faction­al leaders.

Two days ago, police said intelligence revealed that some aggrieved par­ty members had perfect­ed plans to engage thugs from across the country to threaten public peace and security in Abuja.

Police sources told Daily Sun that the IGP seized the occasion to appeal to the feuding parties to talk to their loyalists to refrain from any act that may threaten public order as the po­lice would not hesitate to deal promptly, firmly and decisively with such persons or group of per­sons, in line with its legal obligations.

The IGP was also said to have told the two leaders that they would be held accountable for any security breach aris­ing from the outcome of their various conven­tions.

The duo, who came in company with six other persons, were said to have left the Force Headquarters at about 2:15pm.

Worried by the protest which greeted the out­come of the PDP conven­tion that took place in Port Harcourt and Abuja, the Inspector-General of Police had ordered the deployment of Police personnel to secure the PDP Secretariat and pro­tect the staff until the threat to internal secu­rity that is being occa­sioned by the intra-party crisis is resolved.

The police action ac­cording to the IGP, is a proactive initiative which is being emplaced in furtherance to the statutory mandate of the Nigeria Police to prevent breakdown in law and order and protect lives and property.