Suspected APC Thugs Set Murtala Ajaka Campaign Office Ablaze In Lokoja
– We’ve Again Formally Incidented Complaint At The Kogi State Police Command
By Abubakar S. H
Hoodlums suspected to be political thugs on Monday, have set ablaze the campaign office of the Kogi State Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate Murtala Yakubu Ajaka.
The office located at John Holt road, Lokoja, was burnt in the late hours of Monday around 12:15 am.
The armed thugs, who allegedly set some vehicles parked inside the secretariat on fire before attacking security men stationed at the premises.
In a statement issued and signed by the Director, Communications of Murtala Yakubu Ajaka Gubernatorial Campaign organisation, Faruk Adejoh-Audu,stated that members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are being responsible for the unfortunate attack.
According to the statement, ” one of the state governor’s Senior Special Advisers spearheaded the burning of the campaign office” .
It further said, “The hoodlums came in large numbers and set all the properties in the office on fire including generators computers, campaign materials and televisions.”
” During the previous attack which was widely reported, billboards within the office, doors, windows and furniture were destroyed”.
The statement also read: ” Lokoja residents woke up on monday to see the same building in flames again. This time all furniture, computers and other fittings in the office were completely burnt down. The building itself was set ablaze and a substantial part had been burnt”,
” Security men at the office who were overpowered by the armed thugs allegedly identified as the notorious thug who was in Gov. Bello’s appointments as Aide, also identified him as the kingpin and arsonists behind the attacked property in the wee hours of Monday morning”,
” This trend has continued despite our repeated outcries and formal complaint to the security agencies against the known perpetrators of this acts of extreme electoral violence”.
According to the statement, ” We have again formally incidented another complaint at the Kogi State Police Command for whatever it is worth but we have no confidence in the ability of security agencies in Lokoja to rein in this arsonists and desperate felons who are obviously acting at the behest of the Governor”.
“SDP and its Governorship candidate remain popular and everything legal will be done to stop this uncivilized attitude”, it stressed.
” We would recall that just few weeks ago, same campaign office was vandalized by thugs. Windows broken, while other items like Air Conditioners were reportedly carted away by the thugs”.
” But we are very sure that no matter the governor’s acts of repression, the people are resolved to end his misrule which has despoiled Kogi State in the last eight years”,
” We also invites the world and all people of good conscience to come to the aid of Kogi State by rising to condemn these sustained brazen acts of abuse of power and office by a governor that has since turned himself to an outlaw”.
” To ignore Mr Bello to continue to get away with his crude and brutish style of muzzling the opposition in his desperation to prevail in elections portends a dreadful antecedent which will ultimately consume our fragile democracy”,it said.
