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*Fears approval of police unit ‘ll be a tool for rigging

By Joseph Erunke,ABUJA

A Cross River-based political support group, operating under the aegis of Cross River Democratic Watch, CRDW, has begged the police high command not to approve Special Force Unit for the state ahead of the coming general elections, saying the state government which made a request for a the police unit had done so with an ulterior motive

The group said its objection to such approval was based on intelligence at its disposal that the unit would be used to clamp down on the opposition in the state ahead of the National Assembly election.

A statement, Friday, by the group’s coordinator and secretary, Emmanuel Agbor Agbor and Austine Ushie, respectively, said the reintroduction of the police dreaded group could take the state, especially the northern area to the sad experience in the last House of Representatives by-election for Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency in February 26, 2022, where some electorate were subjected to all disenfranchisement by the state authorities using the police unit as a tool.

The group which said the state government was lobbying the police high command to approve the setting up of the Special Forces, for the state with the assurance to fund and donate some vehicles for operations, begged the police authorities not to bow to the request.

The statement read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the disturbing moves by the Cross River State Government to get the approval of the police high command for the setting up of a police Special Force Unit in Calabar for the general election.

“The ulterior motive is to deploy the same Force to the Northern part of the state and use it to compromise the senatorial election where the governor is a candidate.

“We wonder why Ayde is always looking for a Special Force once the election is around the corner. He did it in the last Ogoja/Yala federal constituency by-election using the Governor’s office Security unit.

“It is important to note here that under the watch of Governor Ayade, the Cross River State Police Command has no operational vehicles nor do they receive logistics to carry out their constitutional duties.

“The Inspector General of Police has committed to a level playing field, but Ayade who has been rejected by his people, is bent on rigging the election, through violence aided by the Police, anchored by the Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Cross River State Command, Mr. Frank Idu.

“We call on the Inspector General of Police not to listen to this manipulative tendencies.

“We shall resist any attempt to compromise the senatorial election in any form using unauthourised security presence,” the statement concluded.”