Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The Forum of Elders of the Delta State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised security concerns over the success of the 2019 general election in the state.
The group alleged that arms were being stockpiled by agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led state government with the objective of using same to unleash mayhem in the election.
Specifically, the group alleged that the state government has put together blood tasty youths, who are armed with AK 47 and pump action guns, across the three senatorial district under the guise of anti-cult organization.
Media coordinator of the Delta APC Forum of Elders, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, who made the allegation at Agbor, Ika South council area of the state, urged security agencies to investigate the matter and mop up arms from the civilian populace before the election.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Alhaji Mustafa, recently inaugurated a volunteer group tagged ‘Delta State Anti-Cult Committee’ with the mandate of interacting with youths in institutions of learning and communities to educate them on the dangers of cultism and the need to shun cultism and other vices.
However, Ojougboh alleged that the police was working with the state government to give a seemingly legal bite to the committee which he insisted is to cause violence in the 2019 election in the state.
Ojougboh said even the police does not have the constitutional right to arm any civilian population without given them appropriate training on arms handling and other relevant trainings in the area of securing the state.
He said the incumbent governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa is afraid of being defeated, alleging that he is the main political actor behind the arms proliferation among youth groups in the guise of anti-cultism volunteer committee.
Ojougboh said his party, the APC abhors violence, political thuggery, hence, it is calling on security agencies to withdraw all arms illegally in possession of civilian groups, warning that if this is not done, it will be difficult to retrieve such arms from such groups after election which may lead to anarchy as was witnessed in recent history during the peak of the militancy in the Niger Delta region.
But Chief Press Secretary to Okowa, Charles Aniagwu described the allegation as false and baseless, saying that his boss will never be part of anything that will not bring about peace, adding that Ojougboh will get a reply in due course.