PRESS STATEMENT MARCH 29, 2009
ARREST OF LAI MOHAMMED ...ADVENT OF POLICE STATE
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties {CNPP}, at end of quarterly meeting at Abuja, reviewed the state of the nation and the dangerous slide of our fledging democracy into one party dictatorship; bemoaned the conclusion of Rigging-Phase-Two of 2011 Elections, evidence by the mutilation of the Electoral Reform Committee Report, by President Umaru Musa Yaradua.
While the meeting was going on news filtered in that Alhaji Lai Mohammed was arrested by the Nigeria Police Force over allegation of the plot to assasinate Aiswaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
CNPP recalled that before the arrest of Lai Mohammed, a burea chief of a newspaper was abducted from Abuja to Bayelsa and Punch correspondent was briefly detained over the same Tinubu allegation.
CNPP is now compelled to ask why the Nigeria Police Force is seriallly allowing its men to be used to fight PDP political battles, instead of diligently carring out its investigative functions?
Otherwise, we did not witness the Police arrest either Professor Rufia Alkali, National Publicity Secretary or Dr Mohammed Bello, Deputy National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} when respectively in September 2008 and March 2009, they made treasonable allegations to the effect that some opposition leaders are plotting to overthrow or undermine the Yaradua regime. Allegations in our considered view is more devastating.
CNPP cannot fault the Action Congress for crying out or alerting the nation; when the same Nigeria Police Force up to date is yet to unravel those behind high profile murders since our return to civil rule in 1999 - Chief Bola Ige, Chief Ogbonna Uche, Harry Marshal, A.K.Dikubo et al.
We cannot easily forget the loud noise the Nigeria Police Force and Professor Maurice Iwu made over the petrol tanker planted at INEC HQ before the release of the presidential result of 2007 sham elections; which regrettably the Police report two years after is yet to be released.
CNPP is worried over the unholy alliance between Nigeria Police Force and PDP which is fast transforming the Nigeria Police Force into PDP Police Force; all the election petitions verdicts condemned the ignoble role of the police in collaborating in rigging and other sundry unprofessional activities. The other day in Ondo State, PDP used the police to capture Local Government Secretariats,regardless of the fact that the chairmen and councillors had already gone to court.
Consequently, CNPP condemns the advent of Police State that pollute our democratic landscape.
Osita Okechukwu
National Publicity Secretary
CNPP
08039738870
