Controversy Over ‘Police Investigation’ Of Odigie-Oyegun

THE Nigerian Police have refuted report that it is investigating the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, over an allegation of forgery.

Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Emmanuel Ojukwu, in a telephone conversation with The Guardian yesterday, in Abuja, said the online report cannot be confirmed by Police High Command, because there is “no information on that.

We don’t have information on that.” The report stated that the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has directed the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) to reopen a case of alleged forgery on the APC chairman and some of the party’s leaders in Delta State.

The offence was purportedly committed when the party allegedly swapped the name of a candidate with another, saying the former was dead.

The party leadership, according to the online report, was said to have presented Christopher Anirah’s name as dead, in order to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to substitute him as candidate for Sapele/Okpe/Uwvie Federal Constituency of the APC with Gibson Akporehe.

Anirah was said to have become aggrieved, feeling short-changed, and because compensation to keep him quiet was inadequate. The report went on to say that Anirah petitioned the Police in Delta, but the matter was swept under the carpet, following the transfer of a Deputy Commissioner of Police, who had been handling the matter

. A source at the FCID, who pleaded anonymity, however, told The Guardian: “We don’t have to tell it to the whole world that we are investigating the chairman of the ruling party; we have to take it slowly.”

Asked if they are not aware of President Mohammadu Buhari’s declaration at his inauguration that there would be no sacred cows in his administration, the source said: “Regardless, he is the party chairman and we must be careful.

Any investigation on him must be conclusive before it is made public. The file was opened and it is being treated. The complainant can be reached. But to say we don’t have the petition, it’s not true.”