From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The National Chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, was a guest of the police at the Zone 5 Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Police headquarters yesterday in Benin City, Edo State.
When journalists arrived the Zonal headquarters, several persons were seen milling around but were prevented from entering the premises as only police officers and some VIPs were allowed access.
A crowd believed to be supporters and followers of Abure were also stopped at the gate of the premises while Abure, some top LP officials and members were allowed to go in with him.
Abure’s arrest, it was learnt, followed a petition forwarded to the Zone from the office of the Inspector General of Police in Abuja.
Spokesman of the Zonal Command, Tijani Momoh, confirmed Abure was at the Command.
“There is a standing order for now that nobody should come in. Yes the Labour Party National Chairman is here and it has to do with a petition that was referred to this office from the Inspector General of Police.
“It was referred to Zone 5 from the IG’s office, he is with us but I cannot give the contents of the petition right now”, Momoh said.
Asked if Abure was being detained or just to take his statement, the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) said “I don’t know for now”.
The arrest of the LP National Chairman is said to be connected to the factional crisis rocking the party which led to some members of the party brutalizing a factional national youth leader of the party late last year in Benin.
Recall that those carried out the beating, did a video of themselves while the official and another person were being brutalized.
The action was said to have led the Apapa faction of the party to petition the police for attempted murder.