Attack on Edo legislative quarters raises impunity –APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly condemned the attack on Edo legislative quarters on Saturday, saying the incident has raised the level of impunity under President Goodluck Jonathan administration to a level not even contemplated in the days of military rule.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said based on the ease with which the thugs invaded a facility that should be well secured and the ample time they had to damage over 30 cars and inflict injuries on legislators and their families, there was no question that the attack was carried out with the collusion of ‘lawless’ Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) politicians and law enforcement agents.

“Governor Adams Oshiomhole said the government got intelligence report on the attack and informed the state police commissioner. Instead of sending in reinforcement to prevent the attack, the few policemen attached to the quarters were withdrawn before the attack. This is another indication of a police force that is being bankrolled by all taxpayers becoming shamelessly partisan and engaging in selective implementation of its constitutional role of protecting the lives and property of the citizenry,’’ it stated.
Citing instances in Rivers, Ekiti and Edo states where the police had allegedly acted below expectation, the APC accused the Jonathan regime of giving ‘free rein to impunity like never before in the history of the country’.
“The danger, however, is that when a society descends into anarchy, the same police will not escape the consequences, and will also not be able to handle the outcome of its collusion as professionalism would have deserted it and discipline compromised. By becoming partisan, the police force is destroying itself,’’ it said.
APC said the attack on the Edo legislative quarters on Saturday would have been prevented if the thugs who molested Oshiomhole and top officials of his administration, when they went to the airport to receive President Jonathan a few days earlier, had been censured for their unacceptable and barbaric actions.
“By failing to sanction them accordingly, the powers that be have simply given a seal of approval to their actions and empowered them to do more, hence they became emboldened to attack the legislative quarters,’’ the party said.
APC reminded President Jonathan that attacks like the one in Edo, which the police allegedly allowed to happen, formed part of the reasons some foreign governments, concerned about the way the Nigerian security agencies had used the weapons supplied to them to violate the human rights of citizens, had refused to sell arms to the country.