Group Urges Police to Fish out Killers of Enugu LP Senatorial Candidate

Rebecca Ejifoma 

The Nsukka Professional Association (NPA), Enugu State, yesterday, called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman  Alkali Baba, and other heads of security agencies to urgently fish out those behind the gruesome murder of the Labour Party Senatorial Candidate, Mr. Oyibo Chukwu.

Chukwu was murdered a day before the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections.

Addressing media men in Lagos, the President of NPA, Mr. Charles Nwodo, said Enugu people in general were appalled that since the killing of Chukwu, no arrest has been made and nobody has been interrogated.

Nwodo, appealed to the IGP to deploy a special team of detectives to Enugu with a mandate to apprehend all those connected with the heinous crime no matter the status or influence of the party.

“Out of pity, we donated N1 million to the family of our slain brother. We want the murder to be thoroughly investigated, and justice served by the law. 

“We don’t want him to die in vain. We also want the police to intervene in election violence and malpractices,” Nwodo added. 

According to the president, “We have credible intelligence at our disposal that desperate politicians in Enugu are planning to compromise key officials of Independent Electoral Commission, police, the Nigerian Army, and other security agencies in the state. 

“We also have it on record that some politicians are planning to disenfranchise our people from voting for the candidates of their choice,” he claimed. 

The NPA, therefore, called on INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to rescue his staff members from compromising the forthcoming governorship and state houses of assembly elections and to reinforce the credibility of the electoral process.

Nwodo added: “As a group, we also have reports that some politicians are planning to import armed thugs and cultists into Enugu North Senatorial zone, adorn them in Police and Army uniforms and deployed them to terrorise voters in the area.”

“We have credible reports of plans by desperate politicians in Enugu State to compromise key officials INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, Army and other security agencies in Enugu State to frustrate the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.”

“We are informed that some INEC officials in the state have been specifically accused of coordinating plots to disenfranchise Enugu voters.”

Nwodo insisted that some politicians were planning to disrupt the election in targeted polling units and wards.

“We are raising the alarm to call the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabo, DSS, and International Community.

“We want to remind the GOC 82 Division, Enugu State, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani, Director of State Security Service, Mr. Ayo  Adesina, and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, to remember their oaths of office, and the standard operating procedures approved for the 2023 election by the respective agencies,” he said.

The NPA also raised alarm over plans by some political thugs to cause violence and rig the March 18 gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections, especially in Enugu East Senatorial district.