IG turns down PDP’s request for more security

 by OLUSOLA FABIYI 

Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed
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The insecurity situation in the country has forced the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party to request extra security around its national headquarters in Abuja and offices at other state chapters.

The request was made when members of the party’s National Working Committee led by its Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, assumed office.

Its National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, made the request on behalf of his party.

Oyinlola, a former governor of Osun State, wrote a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.

It was also learnt that he made a similar request in a letter to a former Minister of Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed, asking that an Armoured Personnel Carrier be stationed directly in front of the party’s national secretariat at Zone 5, Abuja.

SUNDAY PUNCH, however gathered on Saturday that the request had been turned down.

Oyinlola then turned to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, for more security for the party in Ogun State.

His memo on the request was dated August 27, 2012.

The letter to the IGP, with reference PDP/N5/08.12 was entitled, “Occupation of the Ogun State Secretariat of the PDP.”

Oyinlola wrote, “Further to my last correspondence to you notifying you of the recognition of a new state executive committee of the PDP in Ogun state by the national secretariat, I wish to inform you that the new executive committee headed by Senator Dipo Odujinrin is the body that should legitimately occupy the state secretariat of the PDP in Abeokuta, Ogun state.

“Accordingly, I should be most grateful for your assisting the Odujinrin-led executive committee to take effective possession of the PDP secretariat in Ogun state for its operation as the validly recognised body that is administering the PDP in Ogun state.

“Your directive for the compliance to the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Police Command would be deeply appreciated in order to allow for peace and orderly conduct at the state PDP secretariat.”

A member of the NWC of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the refusal of the IGP to act on the letter might have been the reason the secretariat was recently attacked by suspected hoodlums.

Before the request for Ogun State was made, Oyinlola in another letter to the Inspector General of Police, dated July 31 entitled, “Request for adequate police protection of the National Vice Chairman, South-South, at No. 1 Orisejobor Street Otovwodo, Ughelli, Delta State and Orderly” was said to have been turned down.

Oyinlola wrote in the letter, “The Inspector General of Police is earnestly requested to please consider and authorise the release of Police security to the National Vice Chairman South south PDP, Dr. Stephen Orise Oru.

“Consequently, I request your continuous gesture and assistance to the members of the NWC and the PDP in general in view of the current security challenges”.

The requests were said to have been turned down to prevent other political parties from making the same requests.

Punch