Kogi State Police command said it has begun investigations into the circumstances that led to the killing of a supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Koton Karfe, Kogi LGA of Kogi State on Saturday.
The police, in a statement issued by its public relations officer in Kogi State, SP William Ovye Aya, for the commissioner of police, said the command received a report where some persons were said to have been killed and injured in the process through political violence.
While assuring the people of the state that no stone would be left unturned to secure lives and property, the CP condemned, in strong terms, acts by some politicians whose stock-in-trade was violence and who had taken it upon themselves to cause mayhem and heat up the state through “their unguarded utterances and unregulated activities”.
He specifically accused the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the state, Muritala Yakubu of conducts that had allegedly continued to jeopardize security efforts in the state, saying that the SDP candidate “moves around with a retinue of suspected political thugs armed to the teeth.”
“His riding rough-shod and engaging in political brinkmanship and brigandage is an ill-wind that blows no one any good,” the Police said in the statement.
According to the CP, while other parties have been carrying the Police along in their activities, “the SDP Candidate has consistently and vehemently refused to honour any of Police invitations for investigation, or inform the commissioner of police nor the command while embarking on political rallies.”
The statement said the CP had directed the deputy commissioner of police, Criminal Investigation Department to commence a thorough, diligent and holistic investigation of all acts of political violence, accusations and counter-accusations on all the political parties and actors with a view to bringing offenders to book.
The statement reads in full: “The Kogi State Police Command received a report of an alleged attack on the SDP Campaign at Koton-Karfe where some persons were said to have been injured in the process through political violence.
“The CP Kogi State Command CP Bethrand Onuoha wishes to sympathize with all victims of political violence in the state while condemning in strong terms some politicians whose stock-in-trade is violence and who have taken it upon themselves to cause mayhem and heat up the state through their unguarded utterances and unregulated activities.
While reacting to the police’s statement in a telephone chat with LEADERSHIP last night, the spokesman of the SDP Campaign Team, Hon. Farouq Adejog-Audu, described the statement as total falsehood and baseless.
He said, “I can tell you that the entire security in Kogi is partisan. I have seen the statement and I can confirm to you that the statement was written from the government house.
“I am surprised that the police are allowing themselves to be used in this manner despite the fact that Hon. Muritala keeps in touch with the commissioner of police on a daily basis,” he said.
