Osun Re-run Protest: Police Summon Saraki, Melaye, Dogara, Bruce, Others

Agency ReporterOctober 5, 2018

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The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has summoned Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Senator Ben Murray Bruce and others who participated in protests against the recently concluded Osun re-run governorship election.

Newsflash247 had reported how Mr. Saraki, on Friday, led chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to protest against the Osun re-run election which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Gboyega Oyetola, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

The re-run was marred by irregularities, with local and international observers condemning it as having failed to meet the minimum acceptable standards in election conduct.

Notable among the protesters are Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto State Governor; Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa State; Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the opposition party; Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Senator Dino Melaye.

While Mr Bruce alleged he was teargassed during the demonstration, Mr Melaye had a physical combat with the force officers.

Summoning the protesters to turn in themselves on Monday 8th of October 2018, the Police in a statement by its spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, alleged that the protesters attempted to break into the Force Headquarters in an unruly conduct to disturb the peace of Abuja residents.

Read below;

Senator Bukola Saraki, Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Ben Bruce who were captured on camera to have been involved in the disturbance of public peace and public safety, unlawful blockade of Shehu Shagari way for several hours preventing motorists, road users and other members of the public from having access and passage on the highway thereby disturbing public peace and public safety and causing innocent people to scamper for safety and violent attack on Policemen posted to ensure security of the Force Headquarters, pushing and hitting the Policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquarters to cause damage to Police equipment and Government properties are hereby invited to report themselves to the IGP Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters on Monday, 8th October, 2018 for investigation.

Today at about 1330Hrs, unruly and violent protesters who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in their hundreds with thugs and miscreants inside several trucks and vehicles blocked the Shehu Shagari way in front of the Nigeria Police Force, Headquarters creating a gridlock of traffic on the highway and preventing motorists, road users and other members of the public from having access and passage on Shehu Shagari way thereby disturbing public peace and public safety and causing innocent people to scamper for safety, suddenly the unruly/violent protesters surge and rushed violently on the Policemen posted to ensure safety of the Force Headquarters premises, pushing and hitting the Policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquarters to cause damage to Police equipment and Government properties.

The Police team headed by a very Senior Police Officer despite the provocation, after issuing words of proclamation, warning this unruly PDP protesters who were chanting war songs of ”we no go gree o, we no go gree, we no go gree”, charged the Police personnel who used minimum force and dispersed them.

Senator Dino Melaye, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce and others yet to be identified were recorded on Camera pushing Policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquarters to damage and destroy Police equipment and Government properties while Senator Bukola Saraki was at the scene of the attack in his car also captured on camera along with hundreds of miscreants and thugs in the acts of disturbance of public peace and public safety, unlawful blockade of Shehu Shagari way for several hours preventing motorists, road users and other members of the public from having access and passage on the highway thereby disturbing public peace and public safety and causing innocent people to scamper for safety.

The Inspector General of Police has directed immediate investigation into this unprovoked and unwarranted attack on the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and the Force Headquarters premises which is against the law and condemnable. The Force will do everything within the law to bring all perpetrators of this crime to justice, no matter how highly placed.

Consequently, Senator Bukola Saraki, Senator Dino Melaye and Senator Ben Bruce who were captured on camera to have been involved in the disturbance of public peace and public safety, unlawful blockade of Shehu Shagari way for several hours preventing motorists, road users and other members of the public from having access and passage on the highway thereby disturbing public peace and public safety and causing innocent people to scamper for safety and violent attack on Policemen posted to ensure security of the Force Headquarters, pushing and hitting the Policemen to forcefully enter the Force Headquarters to cause damage to Police equipment and Government properties are hereby invited to report themselves to the IGP Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters on Monday, 8th October, 2018 for investigation.

Members of the public in the FCT are implored to remain calm as the situation is under control. Further development will be communicated to the public soon.