Nigeria Newspapers

Spy police officer arrested for inciting voters in Edo

dbesupernumerarypoliceofficer

From Molly kilete, Abuja

The Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, has announced the arrest of a Supernumerary Police Officer instigating  Edo State residents not to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate, Àsue Ighodalo.

The spy police officer had In a video accused the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, of embezzlement and undermining democracy.

He stated that,“This election on September 21, is not just about All Progressive Congress (APC); Peoples Democratic Party( PDP),and Labour Party ( LP). It is  about the evil acts committed by Godwin Obaseki and Ighodalo against the people of this state. They have fought and betrayed democracy, abandoned the rule of law, stolen our resources, and now is the time for judgement.

“This is the time for the people to tell them that we are the rightful owners of this state. Obaseki and Ighodalo have financially ruined this state, leading us into debt.

“Furthermore, they have  used our resources to build their personal estates. Today, Obaseki and Ighodalo have used state resources to establish Globus Bank. I recall that during Adams Oshiomhole’s tenure, Ighodalo was asked to chair a state economic team, but he refused because there wasn’t enough money to pay him.

“That is  how he recommended Godwin Obaseki. You can see they are trying to make governance a family affair between two friends. We, the Edo people, will not allow that. Now is the time to bring Obaseki to justice.”

The officer further alleged that Obaseki had avoided consequences due to his immunity as governor, but warned that he would be held accountable after his tenure.

He added,“Obaseki has committed numerous crimes against the Edo people. He has been spared due to the immunity granted by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Soon, his immunity will expire, and the Edo people will hold him accountable. We know they will lose, and Obaseki knows it too.”

But in a swift response to the video, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) Olumuyiwa Adejobi, condemned the remarks by the spy policeman, however,he  noted that Supernumerary Police Officers are private individuals trained by the Nigeria Police for specific security duties and are not regular police officers.

Adejobi, in a statement explainwd that“The NPF strongly condemns this act and clarifies that the individual in question is not a regular officer of the NPF, but a Spy police officer employed by a private company.

“Supernumerary police officers are private individuals trained by the the Police for specific security functions, usually within their place of employment. They are not on the NPF payroll and do not swear an oath of allegiance like regular police officers. “While they have the right to belong to any political party and freedom of expression, the police frown upon the use of an official SPY uniform for political activities.”

Adejobi, who revealed  that the officer had since been arrested and was under going investigation, said,” The individual involved has been arrested for further investigation. We reiterate that his political comments do not reflect the views of the NPF.

The public is urged to disregard such statements and trust in our continued commitment to professionalism, neutrality, and the rule of law.”