APC youth cry foul over alleged victimisation of member

By Ali Abare Abubakar

A youth forum of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos on Wednesday alleged that the police had joined hands with leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to victimise a member of the opposition party in the southwestern state.

The APC youth forum on Lagos Island said it has come to the notice of the political party that one of its strongest members identified as Mustapha Adekunle, also known as Sego, has being declared wanted by the police for a crime allegedly committed by members of the PDP in the area.

“In this case, we allege victimisation and unlawful witch-hunting of our member by the police and members of the PDP. And as youths of the APC, we shall not fold our arms and watch this to continue. We are peace-loving people, but how does one fold its arms and watch an innocent man to be victimised in the name of politics?” the party members said in a statement signed by Kamoru Aberuagba, a leader of the group.

Adekunle and four other people were accused of conspiracy and murder by the police, who declared the quintet wanted for allegedly having a hand in the death of Azeez Asake, a member of the APC youth group who was killed in a fracas between members of the PDP and the opposition party during a recent visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Lagos.

According to the statement, on the day of the crime, Adekunle was in Ijebu Ode in the southwestern state of Ogun, at a party organised by a friend. The youth group said it has footage of the party and a pictorial evidence to prove that Adekunle was not involved in the fracas.

It said it was shocking to read in the newspapers that Adekunle, who was yet to be invited for questioning by any security agency so far, had been declared wanted by the police.

“We are ready to institute a legal action to prove Adekunle’s innocence,” the group declared, accusing the PDP of trying to turn the table for a crime allegedly committed by its members and implicating Adekunle who had mounted stiff opposition against the party on Lagos Island for several years.

In an earlier statement released by spokesman of the APC in Lagos, Joe Igbokwe, the party alleged that Asake was shot dead by the notorious Abuja group loyal to a serving minister from the state, adding, two weeks earlier, the same group allegedly shot dead one Wasiu Lawal in Ajah where APC members were holding their weekly meetings.

Other party members, including Jumoke Okoya-Thomas, an APC member of the House of Representatives, had also cried foul over Asake’s death, demanding a proper probe and not witch-hunting of APC members in the murder case.

The APC said it has not been informed of any major arrest made in connection with the killing of Asake, warning that if the “murderous gang are not called to order, they would create further crisis that will lead to bloodshed in Lagos” while urging the security agencies to do the proper investigation.