By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has raised an alarm over the safety of its gubernatorial candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, after he was flown, unaccompanied by any of his aides, in an helicopter to Uyo, yesterday.
In a statement issued in Ilorin, Kwara State, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said its concern was in view of the glaring partisanship of the police in handling the Akwa Ibom case and the arrest of 41 ACN supporters in the state, whose only offence is that they were found with brooms, the party’s symbol.
“Three of the 41 ACN supporters who were arrested and slammed into detention were reported to have died. How can we then not be worried by the safety of our governorship candidate under the circumstances?
“We hope this idea of flying Sen. Akpanudoedehe to Uyo, ostensibly to arraign him in court there after the police virtually abducted him right inside a court in Abuja, in a crude and brush manner, is not aimed at subjecting him to the final solution,” it said.
ACN warned that nothing untoward must happen to Sen. Akpanudoedehe, and that since he is now held captive by the police, the force will be held responsible for his safety. The party urged the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, to respect the law in handling this delicate issue, since he is not above the law.
Wife pleads for intervention
Meanwhile, Senator Akpanudoedehe’s wife, Justin, has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the matter by ordering an immediate release of her husband for the sake of her tender kids whom she said weep everyday over the continued detention of their father.
She equally implored well-meaning Nigerians, women and civil society organisations, within and outside the country, to come to her rescue with a view to determining the whereabouts of her husband who she last saw on Sunday, alleging that of 41 detained supporters of the ACN in Akwa Ibom State, that three of them were allegedly reported dead yesterday morning owing to food poisoning.
Speaking in Abuja yesterday, she said, “I went to the police headquarters this morning to tell my husband that the surety has finally signed all the documents that will secure his release from detention, only to meet an empty cell.
“When I started asking questions, officers there told me that a chopper came and picked him up, I tried to find out where he has been taken to, at least for me to hear his last words, they refused telling me, when I went to the IG, he told me that he is only following orders from above.
“My children are young, they have been crying over their father’s absence for the past two weeks. I am particularly afraid because out of the 41 persons that were arrested in Akwa Ibom because of their loyalty to by husband, three of them died this morning as a result of food poisoning.
“In the state now, everybody is afraid to hold a broom because once police see you with it they arrest you.
“Please President Jonathan, I know you are a good man, and you have said that no man’s blood is worth to be sacrificed for your mandate, please my husbands blood is not worth it, don’t allow him to die in detention please. Intervene in this matter. You are a peace loving man, so also is my husband
“Women, where are you, come to my rescue immediately, I want the whole world to know that my husband may die before this election if nothing is done to secure his release.
“I am appealing to every Nigerian to intervene, if not for anything, for the sake of my innocent kids”, she urged.
One of the lawyers that is representing him in court, Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN, equally collaborated her story, adding that he was yet to be informed about where the ACN candidate is currently kept, adding that the defence team are working on legal processes that they intend to file in court soon.
It will be recalled that Udoedehe was re_arrested by security operatives last week Thursday, shortly after he was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja over a four count charge bothering on treason.
vanguardngr.com/2011/04/akpanudoedehe%e2%80%99s-life-in-danger-acn-alleges
The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has raised an alarm over the safety of its gubernatorial candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, after he was flown, unaccompanied by any of his aides, in an helicopter to Uyo, yesterday.
In a statement issued in Ilorin, Kwara State, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said its concern was in view of the glaring partisanship of the police in handling the Akwa Ibom case and the arrest of 41 ACN supporters in the state, whose only offence is that they were found with brooms, the party’s symbol.
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| Sen. Akpanudoedehe |
“We hope this idea of flying Sen. Akpanudoedehe to Uyo, ostensibly to arraign him in court there after the police virtually abducted him right inside a court in Abuja, in a crude and brush manner, is not aimed at subjecting him to the final solution,” it said.
ACN warned that nothing untoward must happen to Sen. Akpanudoedehe, and that since he is now held captive by the police, the force will be held responsible for his safety. The party urged the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, to respect the law in handling this delicate issue, since he is not above the law.
Wife pleads for intervention
Meanwhile, Senator Akpanudoedehe’s wife, Justin, has appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in the matter by ordering an immediate release of her husband for the sake of her tender kids whom she said weep everyday over the continued detention of their father.
She equally implored well-meaning Nigerians, women and civil society organisations, within and outside the country, to come to her rescue with a view to determining the whereabouts of her husband who she last saw on Sunday, alleging that of 41 detained supporters of the ACN in Akwa Ibom State, that three of them were allegedly reported dead yesterday morning owing to food poisoning.
Speaking in Abuja yesterday, she said, “I went to the police headquarters this morning to tell my husband that the surety has finally signed all the documents that will secure his release from detention, only to meet an empty cell.
“When I started asking questions, officers there told me that a chopper came and picked him up, I tried to find out where he has been taken to, at least for me to hear his last words, they refused telling me, when I went to the IG, he told me that he is only following orders from above.
“My children are young, they have been crying over their father’s absence for the past two weeks. I am particularly afraid because out of the 41 persons that were arrested in Akwa Ibom because of their loyalty to by husband, three of them died this morning as a result of food poisoning.
“In the state now, everybody is afraid to hold a broom because once police see you with it they arrest you.
“Please President Jonathan, I know you are a good man, and you have said that no man’s blood is worth to be sacrificed for your mandate, please my husbands blood is not worth it, don’t allow him to die in detention please. Intervene in this matter. You are a peace loving man, so also is my husband
“Women, where are you, come to my rescue immediately, I want the whole world to know that my husband may die before this election if nothing is done to secure his release.
“I am appealing to every Nigerian to intervene, if not for anything, for the sake of my innocent kids”, she urged.
One of the lawyers that is representing him in court, Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN, equally collaborated her story, adding that he was yet to be informed about where the ACN candidate is currently kept, adding that the defence team are working on legal processes that they intend to file in court soon.
It will be recalled that Udoedehe was re_arrested by security operatives last week Thursday, shortly after he was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja over a four count charge bothering on treason.
vanguardngr.com/2011/04/akpanudoedehe%e2%80%99s-life-in-danger-acn-alleges