The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the burning down of Social Democratic Party, SDP Secretariat in Lokoja by suspected hoodlums in the early hours of Monday.
The SDP office was reportedly attacked on Sunday with windows and doors of the Secretariat left shattered while banners, posters and other campaign materials at the Secretariat were destroyed and replaced with the posters of the candidate of APC, Governor Yahaya Bello.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Busari, confirmed the incident and added that the police had commenced investigation on the alleged attack and destruction of the secretariat.
” We got a report that the SDP Secretariat in Lokoja was burnt down. The police are currently investigating the matter, perpetrators of this act will face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
The party had earlier alleged that there is an ongoing plan to attack the convoy of the SDP candidate, Barr Natasha Akpoti adding that the unfolding event has affirmed the allegation.
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However, the party Governorship candidate, Bar. Natasha Akpoti who visited the office on Monday morning alleged that there was plan by governor Yahaya Bello to attack her convoy adding that the unfolding event has affirmed the allegation.
She claimed her state Secretariat in Lokoja was allegedly attacked by some gunmen suspected to be supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who burned it down.
She alleged that citizens of the state are often under attack if they are not in support of governor Yahaya Bello’s second term bid.
” Is this how we are going to sit down and watch the illegality of APC in Kogi State. They invaded our party Secretariat with arms, shooting sporadically and destroyed everything and then burnt down the property just because of an election?
“Am calling on the President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of APC Comrade Adams Oshiomole, the governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Nasiru El’Rufai to call governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello to order. Why are they supporting illegality in Kogi State?
“Kogi State belongs to every Kogi citizen. I see no reason why Bello should think that he can use violence to achieve his aims. We will not allow that the people of Kogi have spoken,” she said.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Muktar Atimah condemned in strong term the burning of the party Secretariat by some hoodlums.
According to him, what happened has brought big setbacks to democracy, adding that those behind the crime must be arrested and brought to book.
