Southern And Middle Belt Leaders Forum Reacts To Attack On Ekweremadu And Wife

Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has reacted to the recent attempt on the life of the deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu and his family.

The group, which met in Abuja to deliberate on the state of the nation condemned the response given to the attack by the police.

A Communiqué jointly signed by leaders of the zones, namely, Yinka Odumakin, South West; Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, South South, Isuwa Dogo, Middle Belt and Chigozie Ogbu, South East, said, “Meeting condemned the irresponsible response of the police to the recent terror visited on the home of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweramandu,”

“Accounts by the DSP showed that police did not respond to (the) distress call and visited the scene of crime several hours after the attackers struck at his residence.

“We were shocked to see police spokesman concluding the incident was a burglary attack within a few hours of little or no investigation in the order the current IGP dismissed the arsonist attack that claimed the lives of Kano REC and his family in 2015 as mere accident shortly after visiting the scene of crime.

“With the invasion of the Senate months by security operatives and the sealing of Ekweremadu’s home the day (the) Senate President beat police cordon, the police are making inquiring minds to wonder if this was not a state terror.

“We strongly advise the police to stop behaving like a partisan outfit and embrace professionalism in handling matters like this. We demand a thorough investigation of the incident.”

The group also expressed its displeasure over the spate of violence going on in different parts of the country without adequate response from the state.

“We are worried by the Killings in Kaduna, Plateau, Shiites in Abuja as well as kidnappings in Delta State and other parts of the country,”the leaders said.

“We are not shy to say that the government has failed in its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of citizens.

“A Government that cannot rise up to the challenge of securing the polity is not fit to be in office.”