Senator Jarigbe asks IGP to probe activities of his men in Cross Rivers

***arrest state APC chair over electoral offences

Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe has urged the inspector general of police Usman Alkali Baba to immediately investigate the nefarious activities of his men in the State who he alleged are on the payroll of Cross Rivers State hence, they unable to curtail political thuggery in the state.
At a world Press Conference in Abuja on Monday, the senator specifically asked the IGP to turn his searchlight on the DCP, Operations, Mr. Francis Idu and CSP Irene Ugbo, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), so they can face disciplinary actions.

He also asked Baba to arrest the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in Cross Rivers State Alphonsus Eba to be so charged for Electoral offences as outlined in the Electoral Act.
He said there is enough documentary evidence in form of pictures and videos to prosecute and convict him for electoral offences.
Senator Jarigbe further alleged that the security agents looked the other way while the ruling party chairman attempted to disrupt the Presidential and the National Assembly election
“It is a sad day, indeed, when our security agents will ignore tons of evidence against a political party and their purported chairman who attempted to disrupt a peaceful election.
However, he said they preferred to act on their frivolous and baseless petitions to impugn the character of a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who was re-elected by his people, fair and square, to continue representing them at the Senate.

“I call on the Inspector General of Police to immediately use his good Office to put a stop to this show of shame going on in Cross River State.
“Those who are out to defame my character for filthy lucre should be strictly warned. My silence and urbane approach to issues should not be taken for weakness.”
He threatened to deploy every legal means to defend his hard earned reputation and victory at the polls if they do not beat a retreat.
“I welcome you all to this World Press Conference; One which has become necessary in the light of the happenings in Cross River State after the election of 25th February, 2023.
“The All Progressives Congress in our State has let loose their attack dogs. This pack is being led by one decorated with a title of “State Party Chairman”.
“My initial reaction was to ignore them as the moaning of losers, but we can no longer do that since we found out that they are using some recalcitrant political elements in the Police Force, to create their mischief, against the good intentions of the IGP.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission declared my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and my humble self, winner of the Cross River North Senatorial District Elections held on the 25th of February, 2023.
“We emerged victorious in that election with 76, 145 votes; while the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, the sitting Governor of Cross River State, H. E. Sir Benedict Ayade, came second with 56, 595 votes. “A clear difference of 19, 550 votes. Our people made it abundantly clear that I was their choice.

“After their humiliating defeat at the polls, they have gone on overdrive in expressing their pain, disappointment and frustration of their failure to steal the elections.
“Before we show you how they have been expressing their frustration at losing the election, it is pertinent to state that their attempt to rig the last election is not a baseless accusation.
“There is abundance of proof in the public domain that the APC committed several electoral offences in their bid to rig the last election in Cross River State in general, and Cross River North in particular.

“The All Progressives Congress in Cross River State, led by the Governor of the State, my opponent in the election, Benedict Ayade and Alphonsus Eba, the State Party Chairman, unleashed armed thugs to terrorize, intimidate, rob and bully voters and their perceived opponents during the election.

“The security agencies are fully aware of this. The DSS arrested one of the most dreaded of these armed thugs, one Ukpan Odey; also arrested was Goddy Ettah, the Cross River State Finance Commissioner.
“They were arrested with guns and ammunitions. These arrests struck fear in their camp and other armed thugs went into hiding.

“Sadly, these suspects have been released without prosecution, and with their release, others who went into hiding have all returned and baring their fangs publicly, daring the Security Operatives to do their worst.
“One such daredevil thug who went into hiding is one Tompolo, who has returned and was seen in broad daylight, wielding two guns and robbing several shops in Obudu Local Government Area of Cross River State.

“The release of these criminal suspects has created the impression that the security agencies are powerless in the face of their armed thuggery or, as some persons are already saying, the security agencies are on the payroll of the Cross River State Governor that is why they cannot arrest and prosecute his armed thugs.
“The bad perception of the public, is not unconnected with the acts of compromise, severally perpetuated by the DCP, Operations, Mr. Francis Idu

“During the election, Alphonsus Eba, the purported State Party Chairman of APC, who is also a thug, went to a Collation Centre in Yala Local Government and physically assaulted one of our agents.
“Alphonsus had to be removed from the scene by security Operatives. The Chairman of Yala Local Government Area, Fabian Ogbeche, another APC member, also attempted to force his way into the collation centre and had to be restrained by security operatives. All these were captured on video.

“A fake INEC official procured by the APC to manipulate results in Yache Ward was also arrested, with a fake BVAS machine, and handed over to Security Agents; in spite of our protests the results of that ward was collated alongside other results.
“This broad daylight electoral fraud still came to nought; we still came up victorious.

“Strangely, one DCP Francis Idu, in the Cross River State Police Headquarters, who is under the patronage of the State Government and their lackeys, is abusing his office by indulging Alphonsus Eba in his psychotic odyssey of writing frivolous petitions against me and other respected indigenes of Cross river North.
“It is surely a wonder of the criminal world, for a man who was caught on camera disrupting collation of results at an INEC collation centre to turn around and be writing frivolous petition against us, when he should be facing charges for electoral offences.

The height of this shameless alliance with Alphonsus Eba and these shameless elements in the Police, is a video my attention was drawn to, where some persons were paraded by the police in Cross River State allegedly for perpetrating election violence in the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections held on the 25th of February, 2023; during this parade, the Force PPRO, CSP Irene Ugbo, stated in a manner that borders on criminal unprofessionalism, that I have been invited to answer questions related to the arrest of those being paraded. This statement made by Irene Ugbo, the PPRO had no correlation with the written statement of the suspects.