… sets up Task Force
By Bukola Adama
The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has placed a ban on street campaigns and rallies as political violence persist in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Suspected All Progressives Congress (APC) thugs penultimate Thursday and last Sunday unleashed mayhem at Agbaji, the family residence of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and other parts of Ilorin, inflicting injury on people with gunshots, machetes cutlasses and destroying property and valuables.
The Governor made the announcement on Tuesday adding that the decision was taken as a result of clash among political parties in the state and the need to ensure peace.
The governor said all parties planning to carry out campaigns in the state will do that in designated areas and not on the street anymore.
He regretted that rather than the campaign to be peaceful, it turned out to be violent, a situation the governor said he cannot accept from any party.
“Unfortunately, what we have witnessed is an increasing resort to criminality as a result of heightened political activities with a consequent threat to law and order,” he said.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters in the last two weeks have clashed on the streets during campaigns leading to violence and some sort of criminalities.
In a related development, the Kwara State Government has set up a joint security task force to curb orgy of violence being witnessed in the state capital.
Speaking when he led members of the State Security Council to Agbaji area of Ilorin, scene of the political violence, immediately, after the Security Council meeting, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed assured residents of security agencies’ readiness to safeguard lives and property.
“Serious measures are being put in place to address this political violence. First, a joint task force that will ensure that all such political violence are curbed or nipped in the bud is being set up. We want to give confidence to the people that the security agencies and government will ensure that there are peaceful coexistence and peaceful environment all through the political activities that we have, Insha Allah,” he said.
The governor, who described the recent orgy of political violence in the metropolis as unfortunate, said that it is a complete degeneration of the political value of the people of the state.
“It’s not acceptable because politics is meant to be carried on peacefully and activities therein peacefully too. But what we are seeing is a clear case of criminality.
“We have just risen from the Security Council meeting and I want to assure you that justice will be done. All culprits that were involved in the orgy of violence must be brought to book to serve as deterrent to prospective criminals. We will not accept or allow this in the state again. We have chosen to live as peaceful people and we want to carry out our activities peacefully,” he said.
… KWHA calls for arrest, prosecution of perpetrators
By Mumini Abdulkareem
Following the incessant political violence in the state, the Kwara State House of Assembly, has called on all political parties, to abide by the law and latest guidelines by the State Security Council to curb the ugly trend.
This is part of the resolutions of the House, following its debate on the Motion, titled “Stemming the Tide of Political Violence in Kwara State” raised by the House Leader, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, at the Tuesday’s sitting of the House.
Under the State’s Security Council guidelines, no political party should engage in street rallies, while Police should be given notice to provide security cover for any campaign event, organised by political parties, to curb political violence in the state.
Reading the Resolutions of the House, the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, said if politics is call to service, political campaigns should not become war, but issue- based, to enhance the nation’s democratic governance.
The House enjoined the Police to apprehend and persecute already identified perpetrators to serve as deterrent to others.
The legislature equally urged the victims not to engage in reprisal attack, be law abiding and allow the law to take its course, to avoid over heating the polity, ahead of the next month’s general elections.
The lawmakers also praised the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, for his large heart, by donating the sum of N30 million , to alleviate the sufferings of the victims and the State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, for his proactive approach and put in place mechanism to curb the trend in the state.
Hon. Oyeleke had while raising the Motion, observed with dismay, violent attacks, destruction of bill boards and valuable properties by political opponents, which according to him, were against the status of Kwara as State of Harmony.
Other members who spoke on the Motion, described the incidence as barbaric and called on the security agencies in the state, to be alive to their statutory responsibilities in order to ensure safety of lives and property ahead of the general elections.
… INEC meets Emir
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Kwara State, Malam Garba Attahiru-Madami, has expressed concern over the recent political violence in the state.
Attahiru-Madami, who spoke at an interactive session with traditional rulers in the state on Monday in Ilorin, appealed to them to educate their subjects on the need to maintain peace during and after the general elections.
He said the traditional rulers were brought to the interactive session to rub minds ahead of the elections.
“I want to appeal to royal fathers to go back to their domains and invite leaders of political parties and their supporters and talk to them about peace.
“We must conduct ourselves in a peaceful manner before, during and after the coming general elections.
“I am sad because our campaign in Kwara has become violent; in December, the news came to me that destruction of campaign billboards was rampant,” he said.
The REC promised the people of the state of his readiness to organise free, fair and credible elections in the state.
“At the end of this year’s elections, not only will the stakeholders applaud them, but the international community will adjudge the elections as the best in the country,” he added.
In his remarks, the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, who was represented by the Daudu of Fufu, Alhaji Bello Alege, called for the ban of house-to-house campaign in the state.
He said the house-to-house campaign often promoted violence because supporters of candidates normally attacked each other on such occasions.
Also, the Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, commended INEC for the interactive session.
The Olomu, however, appealed to INEC to organise similar interactive sessions at the local government level.
…Kwara Women to Buhari: Order APC to end lawlessness in Ilorin
By Mumini Abdulkareem
Women in Kwara State have urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to direct the security agencies to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of the recent political violence in Ilorin.
The women made the call in Ilorin on Tuesday at a crowded press conference addressed by the Woman Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Kwara State chapter, Alhaja Ramat Oganija.
According to her, women as mothers were saddened by the recent violence in Ilorin orchestrated by suspected thugs loyal to a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
She said, “We urge President Muhammadu Buhari, as the father of the nation to look beyond party affiliation, and partisanship and direct the security agencies to apprehend and prosecute all those disturbing the peace of Kwara State and their sponsors.
“The President should use his visit to Ilorin not only to campaign but to ask his party men to end all their criminalities in the name of politics.
“It is no longer news that thugs believed to be working for factional APC governorship candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq last Sunday, 13 January, stormed Agbaji, the ancestral home of our national leader and Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, where they attacked innocent people.
“The dare devil thugs who were reportedly led by two members of the APC, Yahaya Gambari Seriki and Comrade Musbau Esinrogunjo opened fire on residents of the peaceful community and injured no fewer than 11 people in the process, who are mostly members and supporters of our party. They vandalised over 50 vehicles parked at different locations within Agbaji and also carted away property, including motorcycles belonging to residents of the area.”
Oganija stated further that the attack was carried out few days after Saraki raised the alarm over planned attacks on his family members and supporters.
“What is disheartening is the fact that some security officials in uniform were said to have provided cover for the hoodlums who unleashed terror on our members and supporters at Agbaji. It is also unfortunate that the FG and the APC would resort to using state institutions to harass and intimidate opposition figures and their supporters. This is barbaric, illegal and undemocratic, and it must stop.”
Oganija however applauded Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed for swiftly setting up a Joint Security Task Force headed by the Nigerian Army to check political violence before, during and after the general elections in the state.
The women in hundreds led by Oganija and Chairman of Kwara State Local Government Service Commission, Alhaja Sarat Adebayo, had on Monday taken to Ilorin streets and later moved round Agbaji quarters to commiserate with the victims of the attack which also left about 50 vehicles damaged and property worth millions of naira destroyed.
The women subsequently converged on Agbaji mosque where special prayers led by the Chief Imam of the community, Alhaji Aminullahi Tantolohun were offered for peace to reign supreme in Ilorin and the entire state.
…Baraje expresses shock
Against the backdrop of the recent political violence that broke out in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Kawu Baraje has expressed shock and sued for peace among all and sundry.
He specifically called on opinion leaders, clerics, development associations, community leaders as well as traditional rulers to urgently rise and defend jealousy the sanctity which Ilorin is known for.
In a statement issued on Monday, the party chieftain said: “all sons and daughters of the ancient city should come together irrespective of their political differences and protect that exalted position of the Emir of Ilorin from been rubbished by intruders who don’t have a stake in the oneness of the community.
“I was shocked and saddened over the latest mayhem launched by some outsiders with the assistance of some people of the emirate that was deeply beyond politics and should give any bonafide true born of Ilorin great concern.
“Let’s all shun all forms of political violence and come together for the continued peace and harmony the state is known for.”
Baraje however lamented that, “With the happenings in the past few months, it appeared that the fracas was beyond politics but rather, other motives, which has made him to raise this alarm that both young and old men and women, should not just sit down and fold their arms and allow the devil to override their sense of judgement or reasoning. This is beyond politics.”
He recalled that sometimes around the late 50s and mid 60s where similar situation occurred in Ilorin between the ruling party then and the opposition, the opposition still recognised and respected the traditional authority and did not support outsiders to come and cause violence in Ilorin.
Baraje therefore called on the opposition to recognise and respect the sanctity of the traditional leadership and let there be peace in the city stressing that Ilorin indigenes should resist reoccurrence of such dastard acts.
He also appealed to security operatives to bring all those identified to be behind the mayhem, no matter how highly placed to book to serve as deterrent to others who have similar devilish intentions.
