Ebonyi Petitions Buhari, IG over Invasion of Umahi’s Abuja Residence

Ebonyi Petitions Buhari, IG over Invasion of Umahi’s Abuja Residence

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Government has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the Inspector General of Police (IG), Abubakar Adamu, over the invasion of Governor David Umahi’s Abuja residence by suspected police officers.

In a communiqué which was signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala; and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Cletus Ofoke, the state government described the invasion as strange and cowardice, coming barely 24 hours after the South East Governor’s Forum banned some activities of the herders in the zone.

“We urge President Buhari to order a full scale investigation into this dastardly act to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

“We also urge the IG and other security agencies to immediately commence investigation into the act and come up with a position guaranteeing the governor’s safety in Abuja and any part of the world,” he said.

The communique said the government was alerting the international community of the obvious attempt to circumvent the rule of law and freedom of expression in Nigeria.

“This is exemplified by such action on a ‘sitting’ governor who enjoys immunity as it is barbaric and undemocratic.

“It is a reckless act, which is against the law and portrays the notion that Nigeria has little or no respect for the rule of law,” he said.

He noted that government viewed that the perpetrators had the singular mission of planting incriminating evidence in the property toward framing ‘propped’ charges against the governor.

“The aim is to intimidate the governor and his colleagues in the forum and prevent them from discharging their mandate of speaking boldly on behalf of the south-east, especially on security in the zone.

“We charge security agencies to have recourse to the constitution of Nigeria and other laws in carrying out their actions as the constitution and laws are sacrosanct and supreme.

“We, however, urge the governor not to be deterred by such antics but go ahead to discharge his constitutional duties, especially protecting peoples’ lives and property.

“We ask President Muhammadu Buhari to order a full scale investigation into this curious invasion by Security operatives with a view to ensuring that the perpetrators are speedily brought to book”.

“We urge the Nigerian Police to always have recourse to the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria and other laws in carrying out their operations and not to undermine the provisions of the constitution which are sacrosanct, unambiguous and supreme”.

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