Political Power Play, Fueling Violence in Benue State; Group Warns
…Urges Tinubu’s intervention
By Tom Okpe
A group, under the umbrella of Coalition for Civil Society in Nigeria, CSN, has revealed that political power play in Benue State is responsible for violence in the State, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, immediately and save the situation.
The group also, called on the attention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice K.M.O Kekere-Ekun, towards what it described as “judicial misconduct” by the Benue State Chief Judge, Maurice Ikpambese who granted a waver to petitioners of Local Government election petition tribunal which permit them not to pay security deposit to the court, a pre-requisite for any valid petition as contained in the Benue State Electoral laws 2024 as amended, and the unilateral relocation of the Benue State Local Government Election petition and Appeal Tribunals from Benue State to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, against the electoral laws of Benue State.
This was revealed at a press conference on Sunday, by the National coordinator of the Coalition, Comrade Igwe Ude-Umanta, in collaboration with Advocates of Social Justice on the ‘Restoration of Judiciary Integrity, and Plot to Cause Civil Unrest in Nigeria.’
Ude-Umanta said: “As you are aware, In the last few weeks, we have been in the vanguard to save the Nigerian Judiciary from political interference, corruption and abuse of office, using the Benue State judiciary and the arbitrary abuse of office by the Benue State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese and Justice M. M Adamu of the FCT High Court for granting a frivolous order.
“Nigerians celebrated Justice Raphael Joshua Egbe of the Federal High Court, sitting in Makurdi for granting an order restraining the Benue State Local Government Election Tribunal from sitting anywhere outside Benue State as stipulated by the electoral laws of the State.
“But seven days later, Justice M. M Adamu of the FCT High Court, issued another order, compelling the Local Government Election petition Tribunal to sit in another State, Abuja and even barred it from sitting in Benue State in clear violation of the electoral laws of the State.”
He further stressed that some members of the public are constituting themselves to pull down the Government of Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia and by extension, Nigeria.
“Some dishonourable members of the society have constituted themselves as elements to pull down Benue State Government, under Fr Alia and by extension, Nigeria.
“They understood the process and believe that the same way they are loosing the cases at the Tribunal may go down up to the National Judicial Council, NJC where the Benue Chief Judge is to be tried, based on our petition.
“Since the day the Benue State Local Government Election Tribunal delivered judgment in favour of the elected Councillors from the seven Local Government Areas of Benue North West Senatorial District, zone B, hell has been let loose in the State.
“Everyday, there are pockets of killings which we believe is being sponsored by some National Assembly members, who constitute themselves as enemies of the State.
“It is worrisome that people who are elected to serve the people are the ones killing them indirectly, just to score political point. What will the people gain if they continue to loose their loved ones because you want a state of emergency declared in your own State.
“We call on the security agencies to immediately, go after the serial killers in Benue State. Street and campus cults are being used while they would blame it on the State Governor for failing to provide security.
“We make bold to say that Mr President has achieved so much in the areas of security and he should be supported by all well meaning Nigerians to do more. We understand that if the security agencies do a thorough investigation of the killings in the State, many politicians would go down.
“We wish to raise this alarm, calling on all relevant security agencies that some disgruntled persons from Benue State, among them is a former APC Chairman, some serving National Assembly members and some appointees of Mr President, are currently mobilising more than twenty thousand people for a protest in the, FCT, Abuja in a bid to cause another chaos in the country. This must not be allowed.
“They orchestrated pockets of killings in Benue and they want to amplify it in the FCT through a mass protest and cause civil unrest in the Nigeria seat of power.
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“We urgently, call on President Tinubu to watch his back as the people in question are around the Government and they have access to funds and could do anything just to prove a point.
“Mr President must know that his Government is being attacked by the same people he appointed into sensitive positions, in the guise of getting at the Executive Governor of Benue State, the working Governor.”
The group however, urged the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, not take this information for granted as the days are near. The Police must be seen working just like the Chief Justice of Nigeria is working, calling on President Tinubu to immediately, “deflate the powers in Abuja, backing civil unrest in Benue State even if they are top Government officials in the ‘Renewed Hope’ administration.”
