Ajaka Campaign Organization says Bello’s aide lead armed thugs to burn campaign office

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Gubernatorial Campaign Organization yesterday alleged that for the second time in two weeks, a ‘dreaded thug and senior Special Assistant to the Kogi State Governor’, identified as Abdulrahman Isa, alias Gentle, has led gunmen to torch the Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Gubernatorial Campaign Office in Lokoja Kogi State.

In a statement issued yesterday by the Director of Communications, Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Gubernatorial Campaign Organization, Faruk Adejoh-Audu, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate said the  Campaign Office, which doubles as the State Headquarters of the Social Democratic Party was first attacked in the early hours of July 10, 2023 by armed thugs allegedly led by the said Gentle.

“During the previous attack which was widely reported, billboards within the office, doors, windows and furniture were destroyed.

“Some items were gathered from the office and set ablaze and there was attempt to torch the building.

“Lokoja residents woke up on Monday to see the same building in flames again. This time, all furniture, computers and other fittings in the office were completely burnt down. The building itself was set ablaze and a substantial part had been  burnt.

“Security men at the office, who were overpowered by the armed thugs, identified the notorious Gentle who has been formally appointed as aide of Governor Yahaya Bello, as the kingpin of arsonists who attacked the property in the wee hours of Monday morning.

“This trend has continued despite our repeated outcries and formal complaint to the security agencies against the known perpetrators of these acts of extreme electoral violence.

“We have again formally incidented another complaint at the Kogi State Police Command for whatever it is worth, but we have no confidence in the ability of security agencies in Lokoja to rein in this arsonists and desperate felons who are obviously acting at the behest of Governor Yahaya Bello

“Mr Yahaya has continued in his campaign of violence believing that apart from his immunity cover he also has control of security agencies in the state.

“Mr Bello in his desperation to avert the inevitable routing that awaits him and his co-travellers  in the impending November Governorship Elections probably believes that intimidation and violence would save him.

“But we assure that no matter his acts of repression the people are resolved to end his misrule which has despoiled Kogi State in the last eight years.

“We invite the world and all people of good conscience to come  to the aid of Kogi State by rising to condemn these sustained brazen acts of abuse of power and office by a governor that has since turned himself to an outlaw.

“To ignore Mr Bello to continue to get away with his crude and brutish style of muzzling the opposition in his desperation to prevail in elections portends a dreadful antecedent which will ultimately consume our fragile democracy”, the statement said.