Tension As Police Arrest NNPP Leader In Borno, Take Over Secretariat

Heavily armed security personnel of the Nigeria Police Force have reportedly arrested the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Borno State.

Reports reaching Naija News at the moment revealed that the personnel on Thursday (today), stormed and took over the party’s secretariat in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Information about the event is still sketchy at the moment. It was reported, however, that some developments yesterday at the NNPP secretariat situated around the Abbaganaram ward of the metropolis, caused the uproar.

It was gathered that on Wednesday, the leadership of the party hired some persons to repaint the new secretariat ahead of the NNPP presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s visit scheduled for the next few days.

However, after the work was done, some hoodlums suspected to be opposition/political thugs reportedly stormed the Secretariat and pasted various posters of their candidates at strategic locations on the premises.

The development Naija News learnt stirred the uproar as NNPP supporters stormed the secretariat to fight those responsible for the placement of the posters.

A source who spoke with Vanguard Newspaper said, the NNPP secretariat is located in a residential area of the metropolis, which led to officials of the Urban Planning Development Committee to seal it after serving them with a ‘stop notice’.

Confirming the development to newsmen via a telephone call, the NNPP leader and senatorial Candidate Borno Central, Hon Mohammed Attom said, the “Secretariat which is about to be commissioned next week by the national leader and Presidential Candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso has been taken over and remain sealed by armed policemen with no any reason.”

He added that, apart from taking over the new secretariat, the police arrested him and took him to the State Police Command in Maiduguri this morning.

“Yes, I can confirm to you that, I have been arrested by the police this morning Thursday. Currently, I am at the Borno State Police Command, and very soon, I was told that my phone will be seized from me.

“I took this opportunity to inform you of the situation we are in right now, and please help us tell the world what is happening to NNPP Secretariat and my humble self.

“I suspect that this is not ordinarily, but the handiwork of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC under the leadership of Governor Babagana Zulum”, Attom lamented.

In a swift response, the Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Hon Ali Bukar Dalori, dismissed a claim by Hon Attom that APC was behind the sealing of the NNPP Secretariat and his arrest.

He said: “I want to inform you that, APC in Borno is not connected to a sealing of NNPP Secretariat as alleged by Hon Attom.

“I am just hearing this from you, and if Hon Attom was arrested and now in police custody, they should try and sort out their problem or misunderstanding with the police, but not to drag our great party, APC into it.”

However, when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sani Shatambaya told reporters that he was not aware of the incident yet.