APC resorts to private security guards

Following what the All Progressives
Congress described as the growing
threat to the lives of its leaders,
some of the party’s chieftains have
resorted to making private security
arrangements.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered on Friday
that part of these arrangements
included engaging private security
guards (some of which allegedly
carry arms) as well as beefing up
security in and around their homes
and offices.
Some of the party members
volunteered this information on
the condition of anonymity.
One of them explained that the
chieftains were forced to make
backup plans because it was
becoming clear that the Peoples
Democratic Party-led Federal
Government would withdraw the
services of regular security men as
the elections approach.
He said, “We cannot pretend we
don’t know what the PDP is up to.
There is more to the deliberate
harassment of our leaders by
security agencies within the last
one week.
“First, it was Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu
and Governor Rochas Okorocha;
then our Presidential Campaign
Director of Media, Mr. Garba Shehu.
Only God knows who will be next.
“It was in this same country during
election period that Chief Harry
Marshal and Bola Ige were killed.
Only a careless person will rely
solely on government security men
who can be withdrawn at any
time.”
In Rivers State, the state chapter of
the APC said its members were
relying on “natural human
instincts” to protect party leaders
from assassination plots.
The state Publicity Secretary, Mr.
Chris Fynebone, told one of our
correspondents that no matter how
the party’s political detractors tried
to intimidate its leaders, it would
be impossible to eliminate all of
them.
The Kwara State Secretary of the
party, Mr. Adekanye Olabode, also
said the party had written to all
relevant security agencies to
provide security for its prominent
members.
Olabode said, “We cannot do
anything that is contrary to the law.
So we have taken the legal step.
We have also committed our lives
to God’s hand who can best secure
human lives.”
Similarly, the Akwa Ibom State
spokesperson of the APC, Mr.
Udobong Samuel, said the soldiers’
siege on Tinubu’s house could
mean that none of the party’s
candidates was safe in the hands of
the security agencies.
He said “When we hear something
like this we raise the alarm because
if we don’t do this, something else
may happen.”
Although the Ogun State chapter of
the party declined to give details of
its security arrangements, it said it
was not leaving anything to chance.
The National Publicity Secretary of
the party, Mr. Lai Mohammed, also
said the party would rely on the
security provided by the Nigerian
people.
He noted that the use of security
services to serve the interest of
those in power was not only
weakening their capabilities but
also putting democracy at risk.
But reacting to reports that some
politicians’ security men were
carrying arms, the police said it was
illegal for politicians’ private
security guards to bear arms.
The Force Public Relations Officer,
Emmanuel Ojukwu, said, “Any
private guard caught with arms will
face the consequences of his
action; he and his principal will be
prosecuted and they risk going to
jail for 14 years, that is what the law
says.”
Also speaking, the Civil Defence
Corps Public Relations Officer,
Emmanuel Okeh, said the laws
regulating operations of private
security firms in the country did not
permit them to carry arms.