The Deacon Chris Iyovwaye Campaign Council has condemned the reported attack and disruption of the One Million-Man March held in Warri/Effurun, Delta State, calling on security agencies to conduct a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident.
In a statement signed by Chief Mulade Alfred, Director-General of the Deacon Chris Iyovwaye Campaign Council and Delta State Governorship Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the Council said political differences should never become a justification for violence, intimidation or the disruption of peaceful political activities.
The Council stressed that the people of Delta State have the right to participate freely in democratic activities without intimidation, violence or fear, while reaffirming its commitment to peaceful democratic participation and the constitutional right of citizens to freely associate, assemble and participate in political activities.
The march reportedly commenced at about 8:00 a.m., but according to the organisers, trouble began shortly after the procession got underway, with incidents reported at several locations, including Airport Road by Total, Airport Road by the traffic light/link road, Ogboroke in Warri and Jakpa Junction before Refinery Junction.
Ambassador Young Piero, Convener of the Local Boys and Girls Movement Support Group and organiser of the One Million-Man March for Obi-Kwankwaso in Uvwie and Warri, provided an account of the reported incidents and their sequence.
According to the organisers, individuals suspected of being political thugs allegedly confronted participants and were armed with firearms and other dangerous objects, including bottles, knives, logs of wood and stones. The organisers alleged that the individuals sought to disrupt the peaceful political procession.
At Jakpa Junction, the organisers reported that a man identified as Collins Egbara was allegedly seen carrying an AK-47 rifle and was subsequently disarmed and handed over to the police.
The name Collins Egbara also appears in historical reporting by Vanguard concerning a 2011 police account relating to the late Ogbe Onokpite. That report relates to events from 2011 and does not, by itself, establish any connection between the individual mentioned in that report and the present incident. Any such connection should therefore be established independently by the relevant authorities.
The organisers further reported that five participants sustained injuries during the incident and were taken to hospital for medical attention.
CAMPAIGN COUNCIL DEMANDS IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION
Reacting to the reported incident, the Deacon Chris Iyovwaye Campaign Council called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, the Department of State Services and other relevant security agencies to conduct an immediate and comprehensive investigation.
The Council said the investigation should establish the circumstances surrounding the reported attacks, identify those involved and determine whether they had any political or organisational affiliations. It also urged the authorities to establish whether firearms or other weapons were used, the circumstances surrounding the reported recovery and handover of the AK-47, and the number and nature of injuries sustained by participants.
The Council further called for anyone found culpable through a credible investigation to be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Campaign Council welcomed the directive by the Delta State Government for security agencies to investigate the reported confrontation and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the law. It urged the authorities to conduct the investigation comprehensively, transparently and without fear or favour.
The Council also urged members and supporters of the campaign to remain peaceful, disciplined and law-abiding while allowing the appropriate authorities to establish the facts surrounding the incident.