The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly condemned the
apparently-orchestrated attack on Edo legislative quarters on
Saturday, saying the attack raised the level of impunity under the
Jonathan Administration to a level not even contemplated in the days
of military rule.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by its National Publicity
Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said based on the ease with
which the thugs invaded a facility that should be well secured and the
ample time they had to damage over 30 cars and inflict injuries on
legislators and their families, there is no question that the attack was
carried out with the collusion of the lawless PDP and the
increasingly-partisan police.
”Gov. Adams Oshiomhole said the government got intelligence report on
the attack and informed the State Police Commissioner. Instead of
sending in reinforcement to prevent the attack, the few policemen
attached to the quarters were withdrawn before the attack. This is
another indication of a police force that is being bankrolled by all
taxpayers becoming shamelessly partisan and engaging in selective
implementation of its constitutional role of protecting the lives and
property of the citizenry,” it said.
APC said, however, that the atmosphere for the attack was created by a
President whose body language encourages impunity, a President who has
converted the police and the army to his party’s militia, a President
who presides over a government that is incapable of maintaining law
and order, not to talk of protecting the citizens.
The party said whether in Rivers State, where the police was used to
harass the opposition, including the Governor; Ekiti, where the police
stood by while thugs led by a Governor-elect Ayodele Fayose were
beating Judges and sacking courts, the same Ekiti, where the PDP-led
Federal Government has used the police and other security agents to
prevent courts from re-opening as ordered by the National Judicial
Council, or Edo, where the police have offered protection to renegade
lawmakers at the expense of the majority, the Jonathan Administration
has given a free rein to impunity like never before in the history of
Nigeria.
”The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) takes orders only from the
President. Therefore, where the President decides to turn the police
to his personal militia for use in vindictive and vendetta attacks,
the IGP is not only required to comply, he is also expected to pass
the same orders down the hierarchy. This is what is happening across
the country.
”The danger, however, is that when a society descends into anarchy,
the same police will not escape the consequences, and will also not be
able to handle the outcome of its collusion as professionalism would
have deserted it and discipline compromised. By becoming partisan, the
police force is destroying itself,” it said.
APC said the attack on the Edo legislative quarters on Saturday would
have been prevented if the PDP thugs who molested Gov. Oshiomhole and
top officials of his Administration, when they went to the airport to
receive President Jonathan a few days earlier, had been censured for
their unacceptable and barbaric actions.
”By failing to sanction them accordingly, the powers that be have
simply given a seal of approval to their actions and empowered them to
do more, hence they became emboldened to attack the legislative
quarters,” the party said.
APC reminded President Jonathan that attacks like the one in Edo,
which the conniving police apparently allowed to happen, form part of
the reasons some foreign governments, concerned about the way the
Nigerian security agencies have used the weapons supplied to them to
violate the human rights of citizens, have refused to sell arms to
Nigeria.
”Which human rights violation could be more egregious than the
police-sanctioned attacks on defenceless citizens in Edo State on
Saturday?” the party queried, and called on the international
community to pay a very close attention to the impunity in Nigeria,
especially ahead of next year’s general elections.
”It can only be imagined what role the police and other security
agencies that have been heavily compromised will play during the
elections. It is therefore imperative for the international observers
who will be coming for the elections to take this into consideration
in their report on the processes before, during and after the
elections,” it said.
APC however warned that those who are engaging in impunity today, just
because they are in power, should realize that they will not be in
power forever, and that one day they will account for their deeds.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
