The leadership of People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ), in Sokoto State,
has accused the Commissioner of police and the Inspector General of
police of being biased in handling the security situation of the state
ahead of the 2019 general elections.
While addressing Newsmen at
NUJ press centre in Sokoto on Sunday morning, the Publicity Secretary of
the party in the state, Alhaji Kabiru Aliyu, accused the leadership of
the Nigerian Police Force of being partisan in the state politics, while
giving support to the main opposition in the state, the APC.
The
Press conference which has in attendance some of the Senior Special
Assistant (SSA), to the Governor and other party leaders including
Mallam Yusuf Dyngiyadi, condemned the Nigerian Police of aiding the
former Governor of the state and a serving senator, Senator Aliyu
Wamakko to destabilise the peace being enjoyed in the state ahead of the
election.
According to the party spokesman, ” Imagine when the
police came to the state on the instruction of the IGP, to arrest some
of our party members and whisked them away.
Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP in Sokoto says it has lost confidence and trust in the
Nigerian police, as it has become partisan and partial by dancing to the
tune of the ruling party.
The party state publicity secretary,
Honourable Yusuf Hausawa, who disclosed some instances such as incessant
harassment, intimidation, molestation, unlawful arrest and unwarranted
detention of its members without arraignment at any court of law, as
reasons for the party’s position.
He also availed journalists
with copies of letters sent to the police as complaints against PDP
supporters, at a press conference held at the Sokoto state NUJ Press
centre on Sunday.
The party spokesman alleged that the IGP has
approved the bidding of APC in Sokoto state through the transfer of one
of the hatchet men of a notable politician, (name withheld), from Kano
to head the Mobile Police unit, Mopol 7, in Sokoto.
According to
him, “the officer in question who is an indigene of Sokoto state has
served previously as a Chief Security Officer, CSO, to a former governor
during his eight years tenure.
“Imagine the Nigerian police
coming all the way from Abuja, with no mission other than the illegal
arrest of our members, who were transferred to Abuja without charging
them for committing any offence, after staying in incarceration and
confinement for more than a week.
“The use of Special Anti-armed
Robbery Squad, SARS, to operate in commando style of arresting and
detaining our supporters for weeks without trial is against the rule of
law and due process.”
He further stated that “we are aware that,
the team sent to Sokoto state to arrest and whisk away some of our
supporters are part of the Special Squad that was allegedly formed by
the Inspector General of Police, to arrest any member of the opposition
to the ruling party or the Federal Government.”
” It is very
disheartening that the Nigerian Police is turning into an appendage of
destruction and tension infliction; and they have been used by the APC
Leadership through the former Governor of the state, who is a serving
senator to intimidate our teeming supporters after his failure in
misleading the people of Sokoto State that he is the alpha and Omega.
In
his remarks, one of the chieftains of the party in the State and SSA to
the Governor, Alhaji Yusuf Dyngiyadi condemned the attitude of the
police and advised the leadership of the security agencies in the state
to be more professional in the discharge of their duties.
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