The Niger State Police Command has revealed the reason it stopped a pro-Tinubu rally in the Borgu Local Government Area of the state.
Recall that in the early hours of Tuesday, the Police operatives stopped a grand lockdown rally to sell the candidacy of the presidential standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.
The program was also meant to drum support for the governorship candidate of the APC in Niger State, Hon. Umar Bago and his running mate, Comrade Yakubu Garba.
The event was organised by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and National Coordinator of Project 774 for Tinubu/Shettima 2023, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.
The gates of New Bussa Township Stadium in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger, which was already fully rehabilitated and decorated in readiness for the event billed to commence by 11.00 am, were locked and barricaded by police operatives.
The two pickup trucks were manned by heavily armed Mobile Policemen stationed at the gate of the stadium while regular policemen locked the gates and prevented supporters from gaining entrance.
Journalists who arrived at the venue at about 8.30 am were turned back.
One of the Tinubu/Shettima supporters, Usman Shehu, stated, “The rally was billed to hold at the Borgu Township Stadium at 11 am on Tuesday only for supporters to arrive at the venue to realize that the police have taken over the venue and its environs.
“We had already concluded arrangements on everything we needed for the rally. We had done our decorations, sound checks, and everything required to hold the rally.
“Only for us to come early this morning to see that the police have barricaded the venue and they told us to go back that the rally wasn’t going to hold.”
But the Public Relations Officer of the state command, Wasiu Abiodun, said the command got information that there were going to be problems so they nipped them in the bud.
He added that it was a proactive measure taken to prevent a security breach in the community.
“The police took over the venue of the planned rally as a proactive measure due to intelligence received of a likely breach of security at the venue.
“Hence, we had to do the needful to avert any possible attack or hijack by suspected miscreants to cause mayhem and breach of the peace in the community,”
“The Command will not fold its arms and allow the act of political violence, avoidable loss of life, destruction of properties, and lawlessness.”, Abiodun added.
