THE Ebonyi State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has revealed that the State Police Command’s statement regarding the alleged kidnapping of Linus Okorie, a former member of the House of Representatives and senatorial candidate for the Labour Party in the Ebonyi South Zone, yesterday was allegedly compromised.
The party challenged the police and said that their backing of the Ebubeagu Security organization foretold peril for the locals prior to the state’s general election in 2023.
This was revealed in a statement released today by Silas Onu, the state party chairman.
According to reports, Okorie was kidnapped yesterday while he was leaving his home in Abakaliki to meet with his followers in the state’s Onicha Local Government Area.
The statement read, “When the APC Militia Ebubeagu commit a crime and are exposed by the masses, the Ebonyi State Police Command creates a cover-up for them by claiming that arrest was made and handed over to them. That is after the victim has been dehumanised by Ebubeagu. Police even goes further to threaten citizens for crying out.
“This is a well scripted strategy to kill the people of Ebonyi over 2023 election. The police is not neutral, they have taken side with the APC. No one is safe anymore in Ebonyi as Ebubeagu now performs the functions of the police 100% in Ebonyi State.
“The police is now the second responder in tackling crimes and criminalities. They are now incapable of tracking down those they wish to arrest. It is now the very well-equipped and highly professional militia wing of the APC that does all the police detective and arrest job and then hands over to the main police who have surrendered their duty to politicians. If this is a good development, time shall tell.
“The sudden gangster-like abduction of Linus Okorie cannot be treated with levity and gratuitously denied by the Ebonyi State Government as an arrest by the NDLEA. Government agencies have a clear and recognisable modus operandi. The world should know that this is a known attitude of the Ebonyi State government and they are poised to ensure the enforced disappearance of anyone who is not a member of the APC in Ebonyi State.
“Any physical attack, unlawful arrest and acts of enforced disappearance that will occur in Ebonyi State in the build up to the 2023 General Election can only be carried out by the State government through its militia Ebubeagu arm. Sadly, it seems like the Ebonyi State Police command has become complicit in the planned annihilation of Ebonyi people.
“All we can hope for is that the people will defend themselves as we continue to call on the Federal Government to intervene in Ebonyi State before it becomes a lawless State.
“The press statement by the Ebonyi State Police Command is nothing but a confirmation of complicity and connivance with Ebubeagu. God help Nigeria, especially Ebonyi State.
“I call on all the gubernatorial candidates of the various political parties in Ebonyi State, of course with the exception of the beneficiary of violence – APC, to issue a joint press statement condemning this distasteful acts and calling for the reorganisation of the Ebonyi State Police Command with immediate effect. If nothing is done, then Ebonyi will be a killing field come 2023.”
In the meantime, the reported kidnapping of Linus has caused unrest and concern in the state’s Onicha council region. As videos trending on social media showed women and youths in the council protesting and blocking major roads.
