The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has faulted the recent arrest and detention of its state chairman and other party leaders in Sokoto State who had gone to attend the meeting convened by the Commissioner of Police, Sokoto State Command, Baba Adisa Bolanta, after the protests on removal of fuel subsidy organised by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)?
In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Emma Eneukwu and made available to LEADERSHIPSUNDAY, the party alleged that the arrested members are: Alhaji Ibrahim Milgoma, the state chairman, Alhaji M.Danmadamin Isah and Alhaji Mainagani.
The statement read in part: “The Commissioner of Police invited all the political party leaders presumably to discuss the prevailing strike and the security of lives and properties in the state. The meeting which held on January 12, 2012 turned out to be a ploy to clamp down on the ANPP leaders in the state as the commissioner ordered the arrest and detention of ANPP leaders present at the meeting.
Why did he order the arrest of these leaders? Is ANPP in the state the organised labour that organised and led the protest the previous day and why would he arrest only ANPP leaders and no other leader from other political parties?
“This event brings to mind what the ANPP party members experienced some days back, while at a state Executive Committee meeting at the state secretariat of the party in Sokoto, the PDP leaders in the state on getting wind of the meeting mobilised and attacked them.
The attack left so many of the leaders of ANPP in the hospitals. The party’s leadership said it had officially reported the incident to the commissioner of police in petitions dated January 10 and 11, 2012.