From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The battle for the 2023 Cross River northern senatorial election has continued to gather steam as the State Police Command has arrested over 30 of Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe’s supporters for allegedly destroying All Progressives Congress (APC) billboards in Ogoja urban district.
Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe is the incumbent Senator representing the northern district and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for 2023 while Governor Ben Ayade is also the APC senatorial candidate.
In the last couple of weeks, there have been reported cases of violent attacks on some PDP supporters and vandalisation of party offices in some wards in the north and police have been alerted.
However, the recent clam down of PDP supporters is said to be in connection with a petition by APC officers alleging that their billboards are being vandalised.
Acting on the petition, sources said the police team were drafted from Ogoja, Ikom and Calabar to effect the arrest of suspected persons.
The source said on arrival at Ogoja yesterday, they raided some joints, burial venues and shops and arrested some of the suspects, mostly Jarigbe’s die-hard followers, on trump-up charges of destruction of billboards and obstruction of public peace.
Reacting to the arrest, the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, said: “I am aware of the Police arrest in Ogoja. They arrested them in connection with the destruction of APC billboards.
“When they bring the suspects, we would screen them and fish out the culprits and those innocent would be freed and those found culpable would be charged to Court.
“The police frowns at the destruction of billboards and we have earlier issued a statement about that.”
When asked what the Command has done with regard to the petition on the destruction of PDP billboards in Ogoja and other parts of the northern senatorial zone, she said she is not aware of such a petition.
Condemning the arrest, the Cross River State chairman of PDP, Venatiis Ikem, Esq, said: “I have been getting snippets of information from Ogoja on the alleged arrest of our supporters by the Police authourities as of yesterday.
“I can assure you that we will use all means at our disposal to frustrate such nefarious plans. Nigeria is still a country of law and order.”
On his part, Sen Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe said: “There is a petition before the Police against the destruction of PDP billboards and the names of those who destroyed them. Nothing has been done about it.”
A PDP chieftain, who simply gave his name as Ntufam Agba Agba, from Obudu, said: “I do hope the Cross River State Police Command is not being drawn into the political battle going on in the north
“If you drive through Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarea, Obudu and Obanliku, virtually all PDP billboards have been vandalised. At Ogoja urban, there is no billboard standing as it has been destroyed.”
