The Rivers State chapter of the committee of friends of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Perekeme Kpodoh, has raised the alarm over his continued detention claiming the action was an act of political vendetta.
The committee, led by its chairman, George Fubara, and its secretary, Chidi Uchena, warned that they would be forced to expose a lot of other issues at stake if Kpodoh, a leader of the APC in Bayelsa, is not freed.
According to them, Kpodoh is currently suffering from being vocal against the administration of Governor Seriake Dickson.
According to the committee of friends, “the governor got provoked after Kpodoh released a statement asking the governor to reduce his frequent traveling and face good governance in Bayelsa.
“Kpodoh also got the governor angry when he demanded that the governor should respond to an allegation by former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva, on how his administration came about an alleged debt profile hanging on its neck,” the group said while claiming that the APC chieftain was robed into a case of alleged rape that had long been trashed.
The group quoted Kpodoh as explaining that the lady in question actually had a case involving the reported stealing N500,000.
The case, according to them was reported at a police station. However, the lady went ahead to claim, at another station, that she was raped.
The case was allegedly trashed when the truth was revealed.
“But because the state government now needed something to pin Kpodoh with, it went to dig up a dead issue and with the help of the police, ensured the detention of the politician.
“Let us not even forget that rape is a bailable if that was truly the underlying issue here. But the level of connivance against the former special adviser on security to the Bayelsa state government calls for concern.
“When this same man was attacking perceived enemies of the government, officials clapped for him and hobnobbed with him. Now that he decided to say some things he thinks are not alright about the government, he is being victimised,” the group said.
It called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser, the international community, human rights organizations, the media, the Nigeria Police Force as well as the National Judicial Council to intervene on the issue because the life of the APC chieftain is currently being threatened.
