BENUE ACN-PDP CRISIS: IGP RINGIM ON THE MARCH AGAIN

Editor,

BENUE ACN-PDP CRISIS: IGP RINGIM ON THE MARCH AGAIN

Sunday Trust May 22, page 3 was a story “Benue crisis: Police invite Senator Akume, Prof. Ugbah, Unongo”. It would be recalled that Senator Akume escaped assassins’ bullets during campaign period but one of his aides lost his life in the process. Professor Ugbah, ACN governorship candidate, was also lucky to survive assassins’ bullets which killed his aide two weeks ago. Dr. Paul Unongo, a chieftain of the PDP revealed that ACN won the April 26 governorship election in Benue; for this, his party suspended him.

Fe days ago, two ACN chieftains, former chairman of Gboko LGA, Chief Simon Abua Yaji, and Mr. Adaa Maagbe, ACN chieftain, were arrested by the police for accompanying Ugbah when he went to submit his documents to the Tribunal. Maagbe escaped assassination when Professor Ugbah’s convoy was attacked in Lafia en route to the burial of Mrs. Mimi Katsina-Alu, the wife of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. Mr. Charles Ayede, an adviser to Professor Ugbah lost his life in the incident.

IGP Ringim’s recent invitation to the trio may end up similar to that of Senator James Udoedehe, the ACN governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom, who on accepting IGP’s invitation was clamped into detention with trumped-up charges that he rained bullets at the convoy of Governor Godswill Akpabio who omnipotently was in two locations to receive the attacks. Whereas it was the instruction of Akpabio that no other political party must be allowed to campaign in Annang land; when Udoedehe tried, planted PDP hoodlums rained bullets at his vonvoy in Ikot Ekpene. But for being in a bullet-proof car, Senator Udoedehe would have been dead like many ACN supporters during the attack. This led to a reprisal attack in Uyo which was hijacked by suspected PDP hoodlums and under the cover torched over 600 new cars and tricycles parked at the State secretariat. The vehicles were parked there for more than four months undistributed; on purpose?

Professor Ugbah has expresses the fear that his invitation by the IGP Ringim might end up the same way as his Akwa Ibom colleague. This shows that Ringim has no qualms and may have continued with his inglorious job that started from Bayelsa where, as the State Police Commissioner handcuffed Jonathan’s boss, Governor Alamesigha. His releationship with Jonathan blossomed from then.

It would be recalled that when Ringim was AIG in charge of South-east states crime soared there.  Instead of Ringim, Onovo was retired and Ringim promoted from AIG to IGP, over and above other of his seniors. Ringim should remember what befell the (late) Kogi-born AIG also then south-east Police boss when he ‘kidnapped’ then Anambra State governor, Dr. Chris Ngige, on the orders of President Obasanjo/Chris Uba.

Ms Eno Ntuk, 1347 Oron Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. enontuk@yahoo.com