NASS Poll : Benue constituents petitioned IGP ……… accuse APC Reps candidate of election violence.
Some members of the Gwer east/Gwer West federal constituency of Benue state have petitioned the Acting Inspector General of police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu over alleged harassment and intimidation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Saturday’s National Assembly election, Mr. Victor Torsar Ormin., in the state
The community in a petition by its lawyers, Olutunde Abegunde and Associates made available to news men at a news conference in Abuja accused the APC candidate for the constituency of carrying out acts of intimidation and harassment against the people of the area.
According the petition dated February 11, 2019, titled “criminal conspiracy, threat to life and conduct likely to cause breach of peace” and copied to the Benue state commissioner of police, the constituents accused Mr. Ormin of tormenting innocent people who seem not to share his political ideology.
“That Victor Torsar Ormin and his gang goes around Gwer east/Gwer west in a convoy intimidating, harassing, beating and causing bodily harm on the constituents whose political ideologies do not align with them.
“This conduct has been going on for some time now and as law abiding citizens, the constituents who are victims do not want to take the law into their hands by retaliating.
“Our clients therefore want the authorities to intervene swiftly”
The Community also urged the Inspector general of police, the Deputy Inspector General in charge of criminal investigation and intelligence as well as the Rivers State Commissioner of Police and the area commander, Rivers state police command, Rumuodumaya, Rumokori, Obio Akpor local government area to reopen a case of alleged vandalisation of oil pipelines against the APC candidate
According to the petition, “our client further informed that sometime in 2010, Mr. Victor Torsar Ormin was arrested along with others as a principal suspect for constant vandalization of pipelines, destruction of oil and gas facilities and illegal oil bunkering in Port Harcourt, which is an offence under the miscellaneous offences act sec 7 (a), (b) and (c) and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life
“That he was detained for over six months at the Rivers state police command, Rumuofumaya, Rumokori, Obio Akpor and was later released on bail by the Police and jumped bail not returning to Port Harcourt again since then thus stalling the investigation and prosecution of the case
“That our client is aware that the case file is still in the possession of the police and to avoid any form of compromise, the matter should be dealt with expeditiously as it appears there was an attempt to kill the matter by the other parties involved, as the police will be held responsible if the file is destroyed
“On the strength of the foregoing, we most humbly urge you to use your good office to cause this matter to be reopened, investigated and to prosecute anyone found culpable”
Recall that Gwer east/Gwer west federal constituency is one of the flash points in Benue state in the February 23rd and March 9th, general election. It is the constituency where herdsmen murdered two priests and dozens worshipers at a catholic church in 2018.
