The shooting in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State of a youth has sparked off political tirade between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) over what actually led to the hospitalisation of Frank Dickson of Umuojiosha village, Ndoro, Oboro. He was allegedly shot by soldiers attached to the convoy of the candidate of APGA, Dr. Alex Otti.
But the Abia State Police Command has vowed that whoever was guilty in the shooting would be apprehended and prosecuted, saying that nobody is deemed to be above the law.
The command also warned all political parties to adhere to the peace pact signed in the state recently.
Abia State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. Anthony Agbazuere, and member representing Ikwuano State Constituency in the state House of Assembly, Chukwuemeka Osoagbaka, explained that Dickson was shot without provocation by the soldiers attached to APGA governorship candidate, Dr. Alex Otti and abandoned to die on the spot, but, for the, intervention of good Samaritans.
Agbazuere explained that on several occasions, the Abia State Government had cried out over the presence of armed soldiers attached to the APGA candidate and the danger it portends to the polity and the general elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11 this year. He insisted that if the soldiers with Otti had been properly checked, the shooting incident that was likely to lead to the amputation of Dickson’s leg, would not have occurred, adding also that when the convoy of governorship candidate of the PDP, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and the member of Isiala Ngwa South, was shot at by the soldiers attached to the APGA candidate, the government drew the attention of Nigerians to the effect of what was likely going to happen.
He insisted that if precaution had been taken, the life of Dickson would not be hanging in the balance at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Umuahia. He added that they are waiting for the final decision on whether to cut off the victim’s leg owing to the shooting.
The Information and Strategy Commissioner maintained that they were crying out to the security agencies to properly investigate the incident, which he said was likely to dissuade voters from coming out to cast their ballot, if nothing was done to ensure that the culprits were brought to book.
Furthermore, he insisted that if any organ has the monopoly of violence, it ought to be the Abia State Government, but he said that government has continued to maintain to peace and preach brotherliness among the electorate, wondering why the APGA soldiers should throw caution to the wind.
He stressed that the violence meted out to a youth in the state was an affront to the peace accord signed by all the political parties before the Nigeria Police Force and that the only way to restore the confidence of the people was for those responsible for the act to be brought to book.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna, who spoke on telephone, confirmed the incident, and said the Abia State Police Command had already detailed crack detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department to wade into the matter and unravel the mystery surrounding the shooting of Dickson.
He explained that the Divisional Police Officer of Ikwuano Police Station had already visited and taken a statement from the young man that was shot and that the statement would aid the in the quest to understand what happened as well as bring those responsible to book.
Though APGA had scheduled to brief newsmen on the incident on Monday, it could not hold, but a source close the gubernatorial candidate denied the incident, but pointed out that the team of APGA convoy was attached while holding a town hall meeting in Ikwuano, adding that there was no shooting occurred.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said two of its vehicles were seriously damaged by irate youth in Ikwuano and that stones were pelted on the person of the governorship candidate of the party, causing serious bodily harm to people in the convoy.
Dickson, who is currently in the intensive care unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, while speaking to newsmen on his hospital bed, said he witnessed a brouhaha at the village square, but suddenly he felt s sharp pain in his let leg and fainted only to find himself at the hospital, only to be told that he had been shot.
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