BAYELSA, KOGI POLLS: Senate charges security agencies to apprehend perpetrators of violence

The Senate has charged security agencies to ensure that all those behind the violence during Kogi and Bayelsa states November 16, elections were apprehended and prosecuted.

Several people lost their lives during the election including a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) women leader in Kogi, who was killed as a result of post-election violence.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had blamed fake security officers for the violence that marred elections in the two states.

However, during its plenary on Tuesday, matters on the elections were raised and the Senate resolved that security agencies should ensure the arrest of the perpetrators of the violence.

The resonation followed a motion on public electoral violence moved by Senator George Sekibo.

In his contribution, the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe said, “We join them to condemn this electoral violence. People have been known to create violence and nothing has been done. What we should add is that law enforcement agencies must be up to the task.

“The husband of the woman that was killed in Kogi has identified those that committed the crime and they should be arrested. We will urge all legal instruments that can be used to be deployed to curb electoral violence.”

Joining to condemn the violence was Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi).

He said, “Irrespective of the party we belong to, our responsibility is to prevent and curb electoral violence. The security agencies should put good measures and punish the perpetrators of electoral violence.”

The senators, at the end, unanimously condemned the spate of killings in the country and observed a minute silence in honour of those that lost their lives in the Bayelsa and Kogi states elections.

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The lawmakers then urged National Orientation Agency (NOA) and INEC to carry out electoral violence advocacy campaigns in subsequent elections.

It also urge “security agencies to apprehend perpetrators of this violence.”

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in his contribution had said, “This is a very important motion, no party is absolved from this and we should continue to enlighten our followers to see politics as a game of ideas, people should pay price for their actions.”

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