The All Progressive Congress, Bayelsa State chapter, has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, to probe the death of one of its leaders, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd.).
Inokoba, former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, died in Lagos on Wednesday, 19 days after defecting with some key members of the PDP to the APC.
The party on Thursday sent a letter to the IGP requesting for an independent investigation into the circumstances that led to the sudden death of Inokoba.
Inokoba, aged 66, reportedly slumped and died in Lagos while on a private visit to his family. While some aides of the former PDP chair suspected he might have died of food poisoning, others claimed that the deceased chairman’s health was frail and should have gone on a deserved holiday devoid of political activities.
But the APC, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Panebi Fortune, said the sudden death of Inokoba needed further clarification.
The party said, “The PDP had, since the defection of Inokoba to the APC two weeks ago, made open statements that Inokoba would not last. Looking at the weighty statement side by side with his sudden death in Lagos, Inokoba death needs explanation from the PDP.
“Even before the world could swallow the bitter and painful news of his death, a fictitious ‘news stream’ suspected to be sponsored by the officials of the Bayelsa Government had circulated the news that he died in the home of another APC leader.
“The known sponsors of the news and their medium (online news medium) were only trying to throw off the trail of suspicion with the fictitious news items. Their news item was followed by a state government’s reaction: It is painful and wicked.
“The APC family in Bayelsa State wishes to call the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to order an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Inokoba’s death.”
The APC called on security operatives to step up investigation and conduct an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death of the late governorship aspirant of the party.
It also called on the family of the deceased and party faithful to take heart and remain calm as the party leadership had promised to do everything possible to unravel the circumstances of his death within the ambit of law.
