The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Governor Yahaya Bello led All Progressives Congress, APC administration in the state of high-handedness and gradual drift to tyrany. The party demands the prompt release of Comrade Austin Okai from illegal detention. This is contained in a Press Statement signed by Mr Bode Ogunmola, state Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Lokoja today.

Ogunmola said the drift is manifest in the spate of arrests and harassment by law enfircement agents, of people, especially journalists, who are thought to be critical of the government.
“The latest victim of the intimidation is citizen Austin Okai, Convener of the PDP National Youth Vanguard. Citizen Okai was arrested Sunday afternoon on the street of Abuja by security agents on the orders of the Governor and whisked to an unknown destination. He has since been held incommunicado. Other people who have suffered similar fate include Friday Ogungbemi, publisher of the Policy and Law Maker magazine, who was detained by the DSS for about a week last year and one McDavis Wonder a social media activist who was detained for two days last month, by the same DSS. Late last year, Mr. Sam Egwu, state Correspondent of the Leadership newspaper was beaten up in Ganaja area of Lokoja by people suspeected to be state agents.”

The PDP said the list can go on and on. “It is now common knowledge in the state that the fear of Bello is the beginning of wisdom. We have even heard that government rewards informants who report and give information that can lead to the arrest of any critic of its thoughtless policies. Citizens are alleged to be daily hounded into torture cells in Government House and elsewhere.”

The party then “demand the immediate and unconditional release of citizen Okai and all other detainees of conscience whose voices the Bello misadministration seeks to stiffle. For as long as Nigeria is a signatory to the foundernental bill of human rights and the Nigerian constitution guarantees the freedom of speech, we call on the law enforcement agents to resist the temptation of being used for pecuniary motiffs by desperate politicians.”

Ogunmola warned that the recourse to Gestapo tactics against cutizens is an indication of a government in the decline. “Rather than it’s current style of trial by ordeal of citizens, we advise Governor Bello to redefine its tolerance level and tamper its adrenalin glands when revewing citizens opinions about its activities and inactions.

The statement noted that the PDP will no longer fold its arms or stay aloof while its members are harassed by a ‘clueless and opportunistic leadership.’ As injustice to one is injustice to all, we shall fight for and defend the enforcement of human rights of our members. A situation where citizens are not allowed to hold and pass informed judgement about people who daily take decission that mar or make their destinies is not acceptable.
Kogi people are too informed to be deformed by bad government, without a voice.” The PDP concluded.