Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has directed security agencies to invite and question all individuals suspected of involvement in the disruption of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Lafia, irrespective of their former positions or status.
The governor gave the directive on Thursday during an expanded security meeting at the Government House, Lafia, where he ordered a thorough investigation into the incidents that marred the rally and the reported obstruction of the convoy of Vice President Kashim Shettima during his visit to the Emir of Lafia.
Sule insisted that the investigation must go beyond the arrest of a few youths, stressing that those who allegedly planned and sponsored the disruption must also be identified and held accountable.
He described the incident as a serious embarrassment to the state and the Presidency, noting that Shettima attended the rally on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The embarrassment was not to the state or the Presidential Campaign Council alone. It was an embarrassment to the Vice President on behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is the reason why we cannot take it lightly,” he said.
The governor warned that arresting only a handful of youths would not address the situation, insisting that the masterminds behind the incident must be brought to account.
“We cannot, at the end of the day, after having such an embarrassment, just go and arrest five or six Almajiris and say that is the end of it. It will not work. The people responsible for this must be called to order,” he added.
Sule also expressed concern over reports that some individuals had allegedly planned to disrupt the rally before it took place. He further raised questions about the attack on the Vice President’s convoy and the throwing of an object suspected to be a shoe towards the podium where he and other governors were standing.
He equally called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deployment of tear gas at the rally venue, particularly its use around the podium.
While commending the military, Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for their intervention, the governor said the expanded security meeting was convened to ensure that all concerns were properly presented before further action was taken.
He cautioned political actors against allowing disagreements to degenerate into violence, warning that such developments could threaten peace and stability in the state.
“I don’t want us to behave like them. If we behave like them, believe me, the state will become ungovernable. That is how Boko Haram started,” Sule stated.
Earlier, the Secretary to the Government of Nasarawa State, Labaran Shuaibu Magaji, SAN, said the meeting was organised to examine the security lapses and incidents surrounding the presidential campaign rally.
Magaji recalled that the governor had convened an expanded meeting of the local organising committee on Monday, November 2, during which security chiefs briefed the government on their preparations and assured that adequate security arrangements had been made before, during and after the rally.
He said Sule also maintained regular communication with security chiefs and monitored preparations to ensure the event proceeded peacefully.
According to the SSG, the Vice President’s visit to the palace of the Emir of Lafia was not initially part of the Presidential Campaign Council’s programme but was undertaken at Shettima’s instance in recognition of the traditional institution.
He alleged that following the royal homage, some suspected thugs wearing T-shirts bearing the image of former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, obstructed the movement of the Vice President’s convoy.
Magaji further alleged that suspected opposition supporters disguised in APC-branded T-shirts gained access to the rally venue, chanted opposition slogans and threw an object towards the podium where Sule and other dignitaries were standing.
He questioned the police response to the disturbance, alleging that security personnel deployed tear gas at the venue instead of removing those responsible for the disruption, affecting the podium where the governors were addressing the crowd.
He said the intervention of the military, DSS and NSCDC was necessary to restore order.
The SSG also referred to reports of an alleged meeting held before the rally to plan its disruption, as well as videos circulating on social media which he said raised questions about the possible involvement of some individuals.
He called on security agencies to establish who planned the disruption, whether prior intelligence was ignored, who obstructed the Vice President’s convoy and who threw the object towards the dignitaries.
Magaji added that the state government had already requested security agencies to activate their investigative machinery to determine the circumstances surrounding the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
