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The Labour Party, LP, has confirmed the arrest of its national chairman, Barrister Julius Abure and the state chairman of the party, Mr Kelly Ogbaloi, by a combined team of police officers and operatives of the Department of State Security Services, DSS.
Abure was forcefully arrested by security operatives on Wednesday in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
A video clip, which captured his arrest, went viral on social media.
Our correspondent reports that the arrest is coming barely two days to the party’s governorship primaries for the November 21, 2024, governorship election in the state.
Reacting to the development, the party, in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said Abure was manhandled by the security operatives.
According to the statement, a police source confirmed to officials of the party that the arrest was not “unconnected to the ongoing party primary and the possible candidate that will emerge, which the state government is vehemently opposed to.”
Obiora also stated that officials of the party were unable to access the Zone 5 headquarters of the Police Command in Benin City, saying that the facility was crowded by protesters, who were demanding the release of Abure.
“Efforts by some party leaders to have access to the Zone 5 headquarters were turned down due to the huge crowd of party supporters who were expressing their displeasure over the arrest of Abure.
“However, a Police source informed the party officials and other governorship aspirants at the gate of the police headquarters that the arrest was in connection to a protest letter by one of the expelled members of the party loyal to Apapa dissident camp,” he said.
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