IG TAKES OVER INVESTIGATION OF ATTACK ON ODUBU

EDO State Commissioner of Police , Mr. Chris Ezike, said yesterday, in Benin, that the office of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, has taken over investigation into the alleged assassination attempt on Edo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, in Auchi, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state. It will be recalled that the deputy governor was allegedly attacked at the All Progressives Congress, APC, local government secretariat, in Auchi, during his Meet the Delegates tour, during which six people, including two security aides, were injured. Mr. Ezike spoke shortly after his meeting with representatives of 20 political parties, including the APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of the September 10 governorship election in the state. Also present at the meeting were the State DSS Director, Mr. Ibrahim Haliru, Commandant of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Walter Akubuiroh, and state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Sam Olumekun. Meanwhile, former President of Trade Union Congress, TUC, Mr Peter Esele, has called for the enactment of a code of conduct to regulate the behavioural pattern and limit of aspirants, saying that anyone who violates the laws of the land should be punished He also called for an urgent meeting of all governorship aspirants on the platform of APC, with a view to resolving all thorny issues in the party. Esele, who is also an aspirant of the party for the September 10, 2016 governorship election, described the attack on the deputy governor as unfortunate, just as he advised co-aspirants to eschew violence and other vices during their campaigns. It will be recalled that while the campaign organisation of Odubu, who is a governorship aspirant of APC, alleged that the deputy governor was the target of the attack, the state government maintained that the claim appeared false and hasty. However, the Police Commissioner explained that the IG had resolved to set up a high-powered team of policemen from the Force Headquarters Criminal and Investigative Department to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack, in the interest of justice. Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner said that the commission had improved its operations, through an upgrade in technology.