Edo PDP accuses police of harassing, victimising members

THE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, on Sunday, in Benin, accused the state police command of dispensing selective justice against the party.

The chairman of the party, Dr Tony Aziegbemi, at a press conference, alleged that the command has been biased toward the PDP and called on the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

Aziegbemi alleged that instead of the police commissioner in Edo to act on  a petition submitted by the PDP before and after the July 18 deadly clash between supporters of the two major political parties in the state, the police have continued to victimize and harass members of the party.

He further alleged that more worrisome is the recent petition the party submitted to the police command in the state against the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Jarrett Tenebe.

This, according to him, was completely abandoned by the police without action.

Contacted for his reaction, the Police Commissioner of Police, Edo Command, Funsho Adegboye, who denied the allegations in its entirety, said that all issues relating to the clash in Benin had been transferred to the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.

“I don’t know what they (PDP) meant by selective justice. Let save your (Tribune correspondent) time. The case has been transfered to Abuja. Whatever observations or comments anybody has should be directed to Abuja,” Adegboye said

But the PDP chairman claimed that despite arresting and prosecuting in court the deputy director-general, Media and Publicity for the PDP Election Campaign Council, Olu Martins through a petition authored by Tenebe, the police decided to abandon his petition similar to the one submitted by the APC against Martins.

Aziegbemi alleged: “We have witnessed different instances in which the police has acted in manners that suggest that they are a wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) preferring to rather attend to issues raised by APC and its agents and disregarding complaints by other actors in the polity, which portend an ominous sign as we approach the election in Edo State barely two months away.

“A few weeks ago, the deputy Director General, Media and Publicity for the Peoples Democratic Party Election Campaign Council, Reverend Olu Martins, was invited and arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police Force based on a petition against him.

“Martins was subsequently arraigned in court and granted bail after meeting the necessary bail conditions set by the trial judge.

“Conversely, however, I as the chairman of the PDP in Edo State, wrote a petition over comments by the chairman of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where he threatened to mobilise and lead youths to stone the Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, which is clearly a recipe for violence and chaos in the State, given the sensitivity of the office of the governor.

“A video evidence of this threat and an accompanying petition was submitted to the Commissioner of Police in Edo State.

“Surprisingly, no action has been taken on the matter since the petition was submitted, unlike the swift manner in which the police responded to the petition against the deputy director general, Media and Publicity for the PDP Campaign Council.”

The PDP chairman further alleged that instead of the police to act on the petition and evidences the party submitted to it as regards to the deadly clash that occurred on July 18 in Benin, which claimed the life of a police Inspector, Akor Onu, the police, according to him, are looking for top members of his party to arrest.

“A petition, to which all the evidence was attached, was again submitted to the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Unfortunately and predictably, the police commissioner has failed to act on this petition and none of the people have been arrested.

“Rather, they have deployed a tactical team of policemen to arrest and harass at least 22 members and leaders of the PDP in Edo State, who are currently under heavy surveillance, in connection with the said public disturbance of Thursday, July 18, though there is no evidence to show that they were at the scene of the said event.

“The police, from their actions and inactions in the wake of the developments in Edo State, appear to be acting a script in selective justice, preferring and picking the petitions over which it acts, preferring rather to be better disposed to attention to petitions raised by the APC.”

“We will like to stress that the Police is funded with taxpayers’ money and is obligated to act in manners that preserve public peace, ensuring that everyone has equal and unhindered access to justice.

“We are concerned about this pattern of abuse of justice dangerously perpetuated by the Nigeria Police Force, especially in the run-up to the September 21 governorship election.

“We call on the Inspector General of Police to use his good offices and formations to ensure that the actual criminals are brought to book as against the innocent members of society being accused unjustly.

“While the police are being used to harass, terrorise and intimidate our party (PDP) members, the Inspector General of Police is called upon to safeguard and uphold democracy within the state, They must uphold and be seen to uphold the Rule of Law, Nigeria belongs to all of us and the right of membership of associations is guaranteed by the Constitution,” he said.

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