RIVERS, JUNE 21, 2016 – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused outgoing Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, of being behind most of the problems in Rivers State.Secretary of the Media and Publicity Committee of the APC in the state, Godstime Orlukwu, who made the accusation while speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt today, said the party can’t wait to celebrate the retirement from the Nigerian Police.
Orlukwu said, “The All Progressives Congress in Rivers State cannot wait to celebrate the exit of Mr. Solomon Arase as the Inspector-General of Police. I must say that part of the problems we have had in this state was caused by Arase and as a party, we lost confidence in him long ago.
“We couldn’t imagine a situation where certain persons were declared wanted in Rivers State and on election day, they were everywhere parading, moving around and carrying guns and the Police pretended not to see them.
We wonder whether the kind of Police we have in Nigeria is the same in other countries of the world. So, that is the kind of Police Arase superintends over in Nigeria.”
He also accused the outgoing Police boss of doing nothing to arrest politicians who were declared wanted in the state, while one of its chieftains and former chairman of Asari-Toru local government area of the state, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree is currently standing trial in a High Court over alleged murder.
Orlukwu said, “For instance, the case of Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, the former Chairman of Asari-Toru local government area, an arrest was made on Ojukaye without any evidence at all linking him to the crime.
“The Police even has to do a turn around and wrote to the Magistrate, claiming that the arrest was made in error.
Why was the arrest made in the first place? It was a kangaroo arrest. That arrest was made with the intention of shutting him out politically. That is the kind of Police that we have.”
The APC Media and Publicity Committee scribe called on President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint someone who will be fair to all as the next Inspector-General of Police, saying that members of the party in the state suffered in the hands of the Nigerian Police under Arase.
He said, “So as far as Rivers State APC is concerned, we want him to retire honourably and leave the office as quickly as possible.
We see his retirement as a welcome relief and hope that Mr. President will appoint an Inspector-General of Police that will be fair to all; an IGP that will look at the law and call a spade a spade. We have suffered so much in the hands of Arase.
“We want to say that we have suffered enough in the hands of Arase. Rivers APC is crying out loud and the Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief must look towards Rivers State and look at what is happening in this state.
