Residents Protest Arrest Of Sen Jarigbe’s Supporters

Thousands of Ogoja residents have taken to the streets of Ogoja town, Ogoja local government area of Cross River North senatorial district over the alleged mass arrest of Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe’s supporters by the police.

Some suspected supporters of the PDP were said to be responsible for pulling down several billboards belonging to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and were arrested by the police.

Speaking yesterday in Ogoja on behalf of the aggrieved protesters, Madam Grace Abang claimed that they were not supporters of any political party but requested the release of their children detained by the police.

“We have done everything humanly possible in support of Governor Ayade-led administration but shocked when we realized that it was the state government who authorised the police to arrest our children,”Abang stated.

“All we are saying is that the police should release our children whom they framed up as committing crime to justify the arrest.

“If the head of this administration is born of a woman, he should release our children or come and arrest all of us,” she said.

Reacting to the arrest, the police public relations officer Irene Ugbo said the command was aware of the arrest.

“Yes, I am aware of the police arrest in Ogoja. They arrested them in connection with alleged destruction of APC billboards. When they bring the suspects, we would screen them and fish out the culprits and the innocent would be freed and those found culpable would be charged to court. The police frown at the destruction of billboards and we have earlier issued a statement about that,” Ugbo said.