Taraba SDP guber candidate, Pastor Othaniel Amah debunk arrest rumour

The governorship candidate of the Society Democratic Party (SDP), Hon Danladi Baido and the Pastor in charge of NKST Central Church Jalingo in Taraba State, Rev. Pastor Othaniel Amah have Wednesday debunked the media publication circulating around that they were arrested by the Nigeria Police in the state.

Both Hon. Baido and Rev. Amah debunked the rumour and explained that the police only requested their presence to inquire about details about a security tip-up.

According to pastor Amah, men of the Nigeria police went to his church on Tuesday, on the directives of the state commissioner of police, Abimbola and requested his presence before the state police boss.

“I was not arrested by the police either, the governorship candidate of the (SDP), Hon. Danladi Baido was arrested.

“The guber candidate was in my church to solicit the support of the Tiv in Taraba state for the 2023 governorship election just like other candidates do, owing to the fact that the NKST church is purely a Tiv church.

“It was during our interaction with the guber candidate that the police came. They came in peace, they told me that the Commissioner requested for my presence and some of my church elders to enquire about a security tip-up surrounding the Tiv People in the state.

“Hon. Baido was not invited by the police, it was out of his Goodwill that he followed us to the police.

“While at the police headquarters, the Commissioner told me that he got a security tip up from leaders of Tiv in Taraba that a factional group of Tiv has emerged to course disunity among the people and is capable of bringing unrest in the state and were going to hold a meeting in the church.

“The Commissioner explained to me and the elders that, it was due to the information that he requested to enquire for more details and advised us to be in peace” Rev. Amah explained.

Meanwhile, the governorship candidate also denied the publication and said, he only followed the church leaders to know why they were invited by the police since the invitation came when he was in the church.

It was alleged that the leader of the Tiv People in Taraba, Chief Joshua Ayagwa recommended for the invitation.

When contacted, Chief Joshua Ayagwa told our correspondent that he actually recommended the invitation of the pastor since the newly emerged group that is believed was out to create disunity among the Tiv’s and Taraba state at large was holding her meeting in the church.

“Yes, I asked the police commissioner to invite the church leaders on why they allow such a group to have a meeting in the church that belongs solely to the Tiv People. I am the leader of Tiv in Taraba and now another group has emerged to try to bring problems between the Tiv and other tribes in the state.

“That is the fight I am fighting, I was only trying to do my best to maintain peace and ensure that no one brings disunity between us and other ethnicities in Taraba.

“My priority as a leader of Tiv in Taraba is to ensure that my people are in peace and I would resist any group or attempt capable of distracting the peace.

“I have been accused of begging the governor and Jukun People to allow the Tiv People to settle back to their ancestral homes in the southern part of the state. I want to state here clearly that yes, I can beg the governor for whatever concerns my people but my actions toward him and the entire Jukun People is to ensure that my people, the Tiv’s are in peace in Taraba state” Chief Ayagwa defended.

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