Below is an excerpt of the press statement issued by the Caretaker chairman of Agatu Local Government, Hon Usman Alilu following the claims by Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state in regards to the coming Saturday’s election.
“PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY HON USMAN ALILU SULEIMAN, CARETAKER CHAIRMAN AGATU LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL, OVER A MALICIOUS PUBLICATION WIDELY CIRCULATED ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY APC GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE, YAHAYA BELLO, ACCUSING AGATU PEOPLE AND OTHER PLACES OF PLANNED ATTACKS ON KOGI PEOPLE ON ELECTION DAY.
“The attention of the Caretaker Chairman Agatu Local Government and the entire Stakeholders of Agatu have been drawn to a malicious video records released by the Executive Governor of Kogi State and APC Gubernatorial Candidate of November 16th 2019 Elections, accusing Agatu people of Benue State, youths from Portharcourt, Nasarawa State, Kwara, Ekiti, and Taraba for a planned attacks on the people of Kogi State on Election day.
“In the said video, Governor Bello openly stated in a gathering which appeared to be a rally, that, “it is only a bastard that will invite a foreigner to come and kill his people, please do me a favour, you know yourselves, the youths, the citizens of Kogi, do not take arms against one another, I got information that mercenaries have been imported from Portharcourt, Nasarawa, Kwara, Ekiti, Agatu in Benue State and Taraba to come and attack us, I, Yahaya Bello is saying, walahi talahi, walahi talahi, monkey go go market eno go return, if they do that to other places and go free, tell them that if they come to Kogi State they will not return back, it will be the last day they ever stepped their legs in Kogi”.
“Ideally, one wouldn’t have bothered to reply a man who has lost his election already and is battling with how to cope with the pending shock that will emanate from the Saturday elections, but to set the records straight, we wish to condemn in strong terms the unguarded statement coming from a number one citizen of a State at a time that his party through the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed has sent Hate Speech Bill to the National Assembly for passage into law.
“Governor Bello’s attack is coming at a time that the people of Agatu are currently battling with flooding which has ravaged over 37 communities that are yet to receive support from Federal government and other organizations and even the governor of Kogi who ordinarily should sympathise with Agatu people instead of involving them in an unfortunate attacks of this magnitude.
“It is very clear that Kogi election has nothing to do with Benue State and Agatu in particular. Instead of the APC Gubernatorial Candidate to face his opponents from PDP, Engnr Musa Wada and his other opponents from SDP, Natasha Akpoti who are well prepared to dethrone Bello on Saturday, Bello is rather diverting people attention from his eminent defeats coming up in two days time.
“We wish to state in strong terms and warn Yahaya Bello to leave Agatu alone and face his pending misfortune alone. Agatu have had enough blood shed during Fulani crisis and other communal clashes and wouldn’t want anymore blood shed. If Agatu is a place Bello is planning his attacks on, he should come out clearly to say it, after all some of the attackers who attacked Agatu previously were allowed to cross from Kogi State to Agatu just as some crossed from Doma in Nasarawa State as well.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, security agencies and other law enforcement agencies to call Governor Bello to order and hold him responsible for any attacks on Agatu people. We wish to notify the public of the governor’s unguarded statements as well.
“Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Long live Benue State!!
Long live the good people of Agatu Local Government!!!” The statement reads…
Signed
Hon Usman Alilu S
Caretaker Chairman Agatu Local Government Council
For and onbehalf of Agatu people.
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