Metro
Police explains cause of APC, PDP clash at Benue rally
Following the chaos that erupted at the campaign of the All Progressives Congress in Gbamjiba, headquarters of the Guma Local Government Area of the state in Benue state, the police command of the state attributed the crisis to offensive songs by the APC.
The APC had on Friday taken its campaign to Gbambija, the hometown of Governor Samuel Ortom, before armed thugs invaded the community and disrupted the campaign.
A member representing Guma/Makurdi in the House of Representatives, Dickson Takirgh, accused the People’s Democratic Party of sponsoring armed militias to disrupt its campaign.
Several people were allegedly injure while five persons were still missing.
Read also: One killed, several others injured as PDP thugs disrupt APC rally in Bayelsa
Explaining the cause of the mayhem in a statement on Saturday, the command’s spokesman, DSP Moses Yamu, stated that the PDP supporters protested when the APC members played provocative songs at the Government Secondary School, Gbajimba, venue of the APC campaign.
“This resulted in hurling of stones and other objects and the destruction of campaign posters by supporters of both parties. No gunshot was fired by anyone and no casualty was recorded. It, however, took the prompt intervention of the men of the command led by the area commander of Makurdi Area Command to disperse the crowd which was almost becoming riotous,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, a statement by the Media Adviser to governor Ortom, Tahav Agerzua, distanced the governor from the incident saying it was not in the character of the governor to promote acts capable of disrupting peace.
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