A chieftain of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and senatorial candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections, for Ebonyi South Zone, Sir Ifeanyi Eleje, has called on the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rted); the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba; the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and the National Human Rights Commission, to as a matter of urgency, launch a thorough investigation into the alleged ongoing attacks on opposition elements, in the state.
This was as he condemned Thursday's attack on the convoy of the governorship candidate of the party, Benard Odoh, in the state.
Recall Odoh, on Thursday night, escaped death, from suspected assassins. His convoy was attacked by gunmen suspected to be assassins, in the Ishielu Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered he was returning from Agba community in the Ishielu council, where he had gone for a consultation, when his convoy was ambushed at the Rest House area of the Ishielu council, along the Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway.
His SUV car, it was gathered, was completely shattered.
His driver was reportedly killed during the attack while his police orderly and three others sustained varying degrees of bullet wounds.
The senatorial candidate, in a statement signed by Sir Ifeanyi Eleje Campaign Organisation, said, "APGA senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South Zone of Ebonyi State, Sir Ifeanyi Eleje, has condemned the attack on Prof. Benard Odoh, the APGA governorship candidate for Ebonyi State and described it as heinous.
“I am shocked to learn of the brazen attack on the convoy of Prof. Ben Odoh, the All Progressives Congress Grand Alliance, APGA, governorship candidate for Ebonyi State, on Thursday, February 2, 2023. The attack, which was carried out by gunmen suspected to be Ebubeagu Security operatives and who fired bullets with aim of killing Prof Odoh resulted in the death of his driver and severe injuries on his escorts.
"This is one attack too many being perpetrated by anti-democratic forces in Ebonyi State under the Umahi-led administration using the instrumentality of Ebubeagu Security operatives. I appeal to the Inspector-General of Police, and other heads of security agencies including the President and C-in-C, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the NSA, the DG, DSS, and the DG, NIA, the NBA, INEC and the International community to give the undemocratic practices in Ebonyi State deserved attention.
"I, being the APGA senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South, have for some time now been operating from outside Ebonyi State.
"Presently, my campaign activities have been disrupted as a result of incessant harassment and violent attacks by a para-military outfit established and controlled by the Umahi-led APC government and known as Ebubeagu security operatives.
“Even as I condemn this dastardly attack on Prof. Odoh and his entourage, the Director General of my campaign organisation, Mr Iheukwu Okogwu and some of our team members have been forced to relocate outside Ebonyi State as they are being hounded by Ebubeagu security operatives, who are on the prowl and searching for these supporters of mine."
Reacting, the Security Consultant to Ebonyi State Government and APC Chairman, Hon. Stanley Okoro-Emegha, in a joint briefing with the Commissioner for Information, Uchenna Orji, denied the allegations labelled against the Ebubeagu Security Outfit.
According to Okoro-Emegha, "It's very wrong to mention that Ebubeagu was involved in the attack that had to do with Odoh convoy. This is unfair. Accidents and attacks happen, and we wonder why every Ebubeagu must be fingered in everything that goes wrong in this state.
"This is very wrong of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and its Governorship candidate, Prof Benard Odoh. He was part of the policies of this Government and so, why has he turned back to accuse the same government of this wrongly? We take exception for Ebubeagu because it was not involved in the said attack."
