Group Fingers Gov. Alia In Attacks On Opposition In Benue, Urges IGP To Investigate

By Ayodele Oni

The National Intelligence Watch, (NIW), a private security network in Abuja has called on the Inspector General of Police IGP, Tunji Disu, to investigate the spate of violence attacks on opposition in Benue State.

The group has however accused Governor Hyacinth Alia of using thugs to attack lives and properties of opposition parties in the state.

The Independent security network made this allegation in a press statement in Abuja on Sunday by its National Commandant, Chief Joshua Ikechukwu, while reacting to the malicious destruction of the newly commissioned campaign office of the PDP Governorship candidate, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN at Terwase Agbadu in Makurdi.

According to the security network, preliminary investigation has pointed at some hoodlums and youths of the Benue State All Progressive Congress, (APC) working with Governor Hyacinth Alia’s Senior Special Assistant on Youths Mobilization, Terver Gbenda as the perpetrators behind the attacks on MKA’s Campaign office at Terwase Agbadu which took place Saturday night.

Recall that a week ago, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Berger Alfred was seen in a viral video where he was allegedly supervising the destruction and burning Chief Michael Aondoakaa’s campaign materials on the instruction of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The National Intelligence Watch stated that Governor Alia is the only governor among all the thirty six state governors in Nigeria that is using thugs to attack his opponents and also destroying their properties as well as their campaign offices and materials.

The security group wondered why Governor Hyacinth Alia, who is supposed to be the Chief Security Officer in Benue state is the one mobilizing youths and political thugs to be attacking his opponents across the state.

“This is enough to heighten insecurity in the state” the group noted.

According to the group, Governor Alia has demonstrated that he is not ready to fight insecurity in the state with the fact that he is recruiting thugs from neighbouring states like Nasarawa and Kogi with the aim of using them to attack the oppositions before and during next year’s general elections.

The group however called on the Inspector-General of Police to shun politics and immediately call for an unbiased probe into the attacks and destruction of Chief Aondoakaa’s campaign office in Terwase Agbadu area of Makurdi.

The group also called on the IGP to direct  the Commissioner for Police in Benue state to investigate the viral video where Benue Speaker, Berger Alfred was seen supervising the burning of campaign materials belonging to Chief Aondoakaa.

According to the group, any delay in bringing the Speaker, Berger Alfred and the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Youths Mobilization, Terver Gbenda to book over the destruction of campaign materials traced to them will amount to the fact that the Nigeria Police Command in Benue State is working with the ruling party to oppress the opposition in the state.

The group further urged the police to investigate the motive behind the destruction and defacing of campaign posters and billboards belonging to the PDP senatorial candidate for Benue Northwest Senatorial Zone, Mrs Eunice Ortom, by thugs suspected to be working for Governor Hyacinth Alia and the ruling party.