Pandemonium as security operatives, Benue APC engage in altercation

Pandemonium ensued in Makurdi on Friday as security operatives and some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress engaged in an altercation.

Passersby and shop owners at Kashim Ibrahim Way, which leads to the state secretariat of the APC, ran helter-skelter when gunshots rent the air, apparently to disperse the party stakeholders who were bent on accessing the party secretariat.

The state chairman of the party, Austin Agada, who had announced a stakeholders’ meeting with the Executive Director, Finance and Accounts at the Federal Housing Authority, Mr. Mathias Byuan, led the party chieftains to access their secretariat.

Meanwhile, the state government had issued a directive banning political gatherings in the state due to the volatile security situation.

Following the directive, security operatives were deployed to Kashim Ibrahim Way as early as 8 am on Friday and sealed off the APC state secretariat.

It will be recalled that the police commissioner, in a letter obtained by journalists in Makurdi, advised the state chairman of the party, Austin Agada, to shelve the earlier notice of the meeting scheduled for Friday and another on Sunday.

Our correspondent, who monitored the situation, reports that a detachment of policemen, State Community Volunteer Guards, and Peace Corps were deployed to keep vigil at the party secretariat.

Our correspondent learned that as soon as the party chieftains, who were in convoy, attempted to negotiate a roundabout and drive to the party secretariat, they were stopped by security men.

In the process, pandemonium ensued, leading to people scampering for safety.

Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Kula Tersoo, in a statement, described the situation as a serious issue that can trigger a crisis in the state.

He said, “Governor Hyacinth Alia has banned all political and social gatherings in the state until further notice. These directives were later publicly communicated to the public through the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, who approved enforcement and equally asked the organizers to call off their meetings.

 

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“The government is worried that some people are still in the habit of insisting on derailing the relative peace in the state and hindering development that Gov. Alia is bringing home.

“The security atmosphere in Benue State is only gradually returning to calm after it was charged recently following the unprecedented influx of armed herders who were brought in by enemies of the state to destabilize the government.

“We urge Benue people to be security-conscious and immediately report activities of these fifth columnists as we call on security agencies to arrest these merchants of crisis and bring them to book to serve as a deterrent to others.