THE All Progressives Congress candidate for Rivers South-East Senatorial District in Rivers State rerun, Senator Magnus Abe, has decried the politicisation of crime in the state.
Abe explained on Wednesday in Port Harcourt that the crime in the state was festering because Governor Nyesom Wike and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the State were playing politics with a serious matter such as crime.
But the state PDP, in its reaction, alleged that the APC leadership in Rivers State was inciting the people and blackmailing the governor, police and the military for a selfish political motive.
He added, “What is escalating crime in Rivers State today is the politicisation of crime. We should stop politicising crime. What is happening is too serious for politics.”
Abe stated that the government in the state was paying lip service to issues of security, adding that the government was pretending to encourage law enforcement agents to apprehend criminals and at the same time obstructing them from performing their duties.
“You cannot call for investigation and at the same time, you are the one obstructing the investigation. What is important at this point is that government should encourage law enforcement agents to enforce the law,” Abe said.
He said every law breaker should be arrested whether in the PDP or the APC, arguing that such culprits would not hide behind political affiliation to commit crimes.
In his reaction on Wednesday, the state Chairman of the PDP, Chief Felix Obuah, however said rather than join the government and other stakeholders to proffer solution to issues of criminality in the state, the APC leadership was relentlessly making efforts to cause havoc and create a lawless situation.
He expresses concern that Abe had few weeks ago given a directive to the APC supporters to take up arms against perceived enemies, claiming that the opposition party in the state wanted to blackmail the state governor.
Obuah added, “APC leaders in the state and the party (APC) do not have better ways than the PDP in tackling insecurity, violence and criminality in the state. Before former governor Rotimi Amaechi left office, the state was in shamble, people were being kidnapped while communal crises were on the rise.”
