It is a lie – PDP
story crossriverwatch admin
Four persons have been confirmed to have been shot dead in Calabar the Cross River State capital over the weekend following controversy that trailed the inauguration of the ward executives of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the State.
The PDP at the weekend inaugurated ward executives in the 196 electoral wards in the state but the reception in some wards turned bloody over alleged supremacy tussle by two rival cult groups, the Vikings and the MAFS said to be the cadet wing of the KK. The two cult groups are said to be in firm grip of the political structure in the state.
crossriverwatch investigation since the killings last week end, revealed that some members of one of the
groups within the PDP had alleged that they were excluded in the composition of the ward executives. A source in the camp told crossriverwatch that: “the entire process of electing the ward excos that were inaugurated was a sham. It was orchestrated to suit the interest of some entrenched interests. When we attempted to ask questions, we even lost one of our members and people want us to fold our arms”.
In ward nine of Calabar South Local Government Area of the state, one of the aggrieved persons who reportedly told his colleague to “shift” for him at the reception ground was immediately shot dead, while the woman leader of the area known as Mrs. Ekpo left the venue in her black Mercedes Benz with a shattered windscreen.
The drama in Ward six, Calabar South council area was less bizarre. The Chairman of the Elders Forum of the ward escaped being lynched but the windscreen of his black Lexus was smashed, while a former councillorship candidate in the ward, Archibong Edem-Orok’s Nissan Xterra jeep was vandalized with his iPad and N129,000 allegedly stolen from him by a group of about twenty boys who invaded the venue
while the reception was going on. crossriverwatch gathered that, the councilor for ward six who was
entertaining the guests at the reception had to scamper for safety.
Narrating his ordeal, Orok told a crossriverwatch reporter that “I saw some boys that went to the councilor and were complaining that they were excluded from and schemed out of the executive and the councilor tried to pacify them and even presented two cartons of beer to them. But within a short time, another group of boys numbering about 20 stormed the place in Keke NAPEP after it was alleged
that one person had been shot dead in ward nine and they broke bottles of beer to attack people”.
Orok also said that one of the boys tried to stab him with the broken bottle though he tried to defend himself and suddenly the boys raced to his car, opened the booth and allegedly made away with his iPad, and the money which he said was meant for his oncoming wedding.
crossriverwatch learnt that overall, two persons were reportedly shot dead three days before the inauguration close to Etim Edem park, one during the reception at ward nine, Calabar South and another at Ekondo street.
When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, DSP John Umoh confirmed that two persons died at Etim Edem park but that it had nothing to do with the PDP inauguration as it was some days before the inauguration. The police spokesman said the two dead were both members of the same armed robbery gang who had gone for a successful operation but had dissagrements over how to share their spoil. DSP Umoh said it was members of the gang who felt shortchanged that trailed their colleagues to Etim Edem Park to kill them.
On the number of casualties at the PDP inauguration, he said he could not confirm nor deny that there were deaths at the PDP inauguration or whether the death at Ekondo Street was related to the PDP inauguration. He said he did not have adequate information about the incident and promised that by Monday (yesterday), he would have been able to get the necessary information.
Several calls to his telephone number yesterday to get his findings did not connect.
But in a chat, the State Spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party, Hon. Joe Obi Bisong told crossriverwatch that the unfortunate incidents had nothing to do with the party’s inauguration. He called on the police to move into the matter and find out what led to the death of those persons and make sure the killers are brought to book according to our laws.
He said: “those unfortunate incidents have no relationship whatsoever to the PDP executive inauguration. You see, let me give you a background. On the 3rd of March, we held our ward congresses which led to the state congress. Congresses are national events and there are different levels of appeal panels. Since April, the party opened the door for every body that had petitions against any candidature or nominee. These panels are composed of LGA chairmen, caucus leaders and chapter chairmen. In that particular ward in Cross River South, issues were raised but the party hierarchy resolved all of that”.
“As for the violence, it was long after we had finished our program that one of the people in the ward called me to say he heard that some one had been killed somewhere. It was no where near our event. It happened long after we had finished our program. The events are not related in any way. I will urge the police to go into the matter and find out what happened there and bring whoever is guilty to book” he said.
But a top security source in the state told crossriverwatch that: “we are honestly worried about the level of involvement of top ranking politicians and public office holders in activities of murderous gangs in this state. It is making our work a lot more difficult. Dealing with perpetrators of these things is difficult because of political influence they peddle. The governor is trying his best but some of the top people in government are bent on sustaining the cult war in the state, particularly within the ruling party. It is worrisome”.
The Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Mr. Christian Ita in a telephone interview, told crossriverwatch that the State Government is winning the war against cultism in the state. “I believe the government is winning the war against cultism. You know what Calabar used to be like before now. The fact that the frequency of these kinds of clashes has reduce to the level it is today is a testimony to the success the Imoke government has achieved. Remember the governor got every member of the exco to denounce cultism. He even has a foundation where he mentors young people and what he always ask them is, how many of you will write you cult group in your CV? And always urge them to desist from such practices. Calabar has been adjudged recently by even the Inspector General of Police as the most peaceful state capital in the country. So if you look at all of this, you will know that progress has been made, we are winning the war but there is still a lot to be done”.
He assured that government will give the police all the necessary support and cooperation needed to bring the perpetrators of the killings to book.