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….Says gun found on APC chieftain at INEC’s office, as party’s state chairman fumes
From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, yesterday, said that he is not responsible for the arrest by security operatives from the state’s Police Command of the Deputy Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarrett Tenebe.
Shaibu also Alleged that gun was found on Tenebe at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Agenebode, the headquarters of Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo.
The state’s deputy governor spoke on the phone, through his Chief Press Secretary, Musa Ebomhiana, stating that he (Shaibu) remained innocent of the allegations levelled against him.
Shaibu said: “Policemen found gun on Tenebe at INEC’s office in Etsako East LGA.
“Are they saying that Edo State Deputy Governor, who hails from Etsako West LGA, planted gun on him (Tenebe)? Comrade Philip Shaibu has no control over the police.
“Are they insinuating that Nigerian police can be bought over? Edo Deputy Governor is not in charge of police in the state. (Etsako East and Etsako West LGAs are in Edo North Senatorial District).
“Edo State Police Command says Tenebe has a case to answer. Policemen and women are very responsible, and they cannot be used. Edo Deputy Governor has no hand in Tenebe’s arrest.
“They should stop maligning him. Comrade Philip Shaibu has office and good name to protect.”
Edo Chairman of APC, Col. David Imuse (rtd.), on Thursday evening in Benin, however, insisted that Shaibu was behind the arrest by policemen in the state Edo deputy chairman of the party.
Imuse, through the Assistant State Publicity Secretary of APC, Ofure Osehobo, admonished Shaibu and his spokesman to stop being economical with the truth.
APC’s chairman in Edo wrote off the claim by Edo state government that the police arrested Tenebe and one Akeem Zibiri, a retired officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), over alleged illegal possession of arms and invasion of INEC’s office, describing the allegations as fallacious and ridiculous.
He said: “Mr. Tenebe, a peace-loving democrat, patriot and party loyalist was arrested by policemen attached to Mr. Shaibu, as he was returning home from the Edo State capital, after attending a party function. He is not a thug, he was not and cannot be on a mission to loot and tamper with sensitive INEC materials for the House of Assembly election, as alleged.
“The ‘police’s statement,’ which the Edo government gave out on Thursday, could not have emanated from the Edo State Police Command, as it was not the style of the police to rationalise arrest of citizens in the media. The statement was not signed, and it is fraudulent.
“We insist that, resorting to using the police to arrest and detain Edo State Deputy Chairman of APC is completely unacceptable, unlawful and cannot be justified under any guise whatsoever.
“Our party charges the Edo Deputy Governor to note that the state is part of the Nigerian nation, which is a democracy, governed by law which creates no space for the whims and caprices of dictatorial, oppressive and vindictive individuals, who have no regard for rules.”
Imuse also declared that Shaibu had no right whatsoever to order the arrest and illegal detention, at an unknown location, of Tenebe or any other citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Edo chairman of APC called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, to wade into the matter, insulate the police from the political manipulation of the frustrated PDP’s government in Edo state, by immediately ordering the unconditional release of Tenebe, in keeping with the demands of the tenets of democracy, rule of law and provisions of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria, as amended.
Tenebe was released later on Thursday by Edo Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dankwara, as confirmed by the state’s Treasurer of APC, Ahmed Ekekhide Mahmud, but the freed Edo deputy chairman of APC could not be reached through the phone for comment, at press time.
Edo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Chidi Nwabuzor, still did not take his many calls on Thursday evening, while the text and WhatsApp messages earlier sent to his MTN’s line had not been replied at press time.
