”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 PDP thugs who molested Gov. 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 conniving police apparently allowed to happen, form part of the reasons some foreign governments, concerned about the way the Nigerian security agencies have used the weapons supplied to them to violate the human rights of citizens, have refused to sell arms to Nigeria.

”Which human rights violation could be more egregious than the police-sanctioned attacks on defenceless citizens in Edo State on Saturday?” the party queried, and called on the international
community to pay a very close attention to the impunity in Nigeria, especially ahead of next year’s general elections.

”It can only be imagined what role the police and other security agencies that have been heavily compromised will play during the elections. It is therefore imperative for the international observers who will be coming for the elections to take this into consideration in their report on the processes before, during and after the elections,” it said.

APC however warned that those who are engaging in impunity today, just because they are in power, should realize that they will not be in power forever, and that one day they will account for their deeds.

*Press Statement by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, APC National Publicity Secretary