The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the police of partisanship and selective justice in handling the recent crisis at the Benin Airport.
State Chairman Dr. Tony Aziegbemi made these accusations during a briefing with journalists on Sunday.
Aziegbemi criticized the police for allegedly acting as an arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He cited several instances where the police seemed to prioritize issues raised by the APC while ignoring complaints from other political actors.
A key example highlighted was the arrest of Reverend Olu Martins, the PDP’s Deputy Director General (Media and Publicity) for its election campaign council, based on a petition against him. Conversely, Aziegbemi’s petition against the Edo State APC Chairman for threatening to mobilize and stone the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has seen no action despite video evidence and a submitted petition.
Aziegbemi also pointed to the chaos at Benin Airport that resulted in the death of a police officer, Inspector Akor Onu. Despite evidence identifying APC thugs involved in the destruction of property and breach of peace, the police have not acted on this petition. Instead, they have targeted at least 22 PDP members with arrests and heavy surveillance, even though there is no evidence linking them to the event.
The Edo PDP chairman expressed concern about the police’s selective justice, especially ahead of the September 21 governorship election. He called on the Inspector-General of Police to ensure actual criminals are brought to justice and to protect democracy and the rule of law.
In response, State Commissioner of Police CP Funsho Adegboye stated that the case has been transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja and any comments or observations should be directed there.
