The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Ebonyi State, Professor, Bernard Odoh, has announced that his life was in danger following the removal of policemen attached to him by the State’s Commissioner of Police. Below is his story.
About 72 hours to Saturday’s Governorship and State’s Houses of Assembly elections in Ebonyi State and a few hours after Police strangely and unjustifiably declared me wanted, I wish to formally raise the alarm and draw the attention of all men of goodwill that the Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command has withdrawn all officers officially assigned to me.
Recall that I had recently reacted to a very strange action of the State’s Police Command which declared me wanted alongside 9 others over a murder allegation that I have already approached a Court of competent jurisdiction and have consistently maintained that I know nothing about. Recall also that the Ebonyi State government had severally passed a ‘vote of no confidence’ on the newly posted Commissioner of Police, Faleye Olaleye accusing it of being compromised by the opposition in Ebonyi State.
Recall further that a few hours after the gruesome murder of my monarch, Ezeogo Christopher Igboke Ewa in cold blood at his Umuezeokoha palace, the Ebonyi State government was the first to raise an alarm and accuse me pointedly of masterminding the killing. The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Hon. Uchenna Orji and the State’s Publicity Secretary for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Simbad Chidi Ogbuatu both made direct and indirect accusations on my person geared not only at tarnishing my soaring image and reputation but also frustrating our campaigns.
Since then, the Ebonyi State Police Command has now become more of the devil’s advocate- a very willing tool in the hands of a conspicuously desperate Umahi-led APC administration in Ebonyi to harass, intimidate, coerce and arrest my supporters with myself being hunted extra-judicially. From an invitation to see the Command’s authorities on Wednesday last week to desperate plots to lay ambush and arrest me whenever and wherever I am seen the same Tuesday the invitation was extended, myself, teeming supporters and the rest of concerned Ebonyians have been aghast as to why the government’s restlessness to rope me into a murder mess is becoming more fiendish when I should ordinarily be doing the last lap of reach outs to the Ebonyi electorates who have freely and willingly received and welcomed our campaign gospels.
Doubtless the fact that some members of the deceased monarch ‘s family have made a statement in the Police mentioning me, the fact I wish to reiterate here for the benefit of the reading public is that I have already approached a High Court in suit No: HOW/194/2023 dated 3rd day of March, 2023 and secured an order restraining the Police and other security agencies from harassing or arresting me until the matter brought before the Court is determined.
Both the Inspector General of Police and other relevant security heads have been duly served with the Court order and the former upon being served with it ordered that all actions in the matter be stopped but the CP yet carried on with the matter as though he’s serving other interests against that of his boss and superiors.
I therefore wish to posit as follows:
- That all the officers attached to me, including the ones from the State’s Police Command were officially assigned by the IGP. As a matter of fact, the AIG in Portharcourt who assigned some of his men to me following IGP’s approval is irked about the fact that the CP unilaterally withdrew all officers attached to me without recourse to him or the IGP.
- That following the withdrawal of officers from my residence in Abakaliki and my Umuezeokoha village, I suspect very strongly that both Governor Umahi, the APC Governorship candidate and Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and the Police may be up for a game to perhaps plant dangerous weapons within my vicinity and then frame me up in order to get a substantive evidence.
- That I raise this alarm with a strong sense of responsibility as the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in the Ebonyi 2023 Governorship candidate calling on the IGP, the DSS and sister security agencies to protect me, my immediate and extended families from the devious plots of the Ebonyi State government. I have been attacked seven times with not less than 14 of my supporters and close staff unjustly killed. Yet, no single arrest or serious investigations have been made by the police despite several petitions.
- That Governor Umahi, Speaker Nwifuru and the CP should be held responsible for any harm that befalls me as we hope to wrap up our campaigns ahead of Saturday’s polls. I haven’t committed any crime other than seeking the mandate of Ebonyians to pilot their affairs.
- I finally encourage my teeming supporters to remain calm, peaceful, law-abiding and very RESOLUTE in their uncommon determination to vote and defend their votes for us at the polls this Saturday.
May God almighty bless and keep us all!
Signed: Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh,
Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Ebonyi State.
