*For allegedly planning to cause electoral violence

BY KINGSLEY OMONOBI

ABUJA -Barely three days to the rescheduled National Assembly elections in Nasarawa State, the Police yesterday paraded a serving member of the House of Representatives, Isah Usman Ambaka (Awanga/Nasarawa-Eggon/Wamba), after he was invited and detained overnight for allegedly importing a gang of 32 Boko Haram members from Maiduguri for alleged electoral violence.

Ambaka, who went to the House of Reps on the ticket of the ANPP in 2007, is now seeking election into the Senate to represent Nasarawa-North zone where Senator Patricia Akwashiki who he succeeded as House member, is currently representing.He is seeking the seat on the platform of Labour Party.

Ambaka was detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Lafia,after the police, acting on a tip-off, raided Akwanga Guest Inn, a popular hotel in Akwanga, last Friday, and arrested 32 youths suspected to be members of the notorious Boko Haram sect in Maiduguri. They allegedly were brought in for last Saturday’s botched elections.

Nasarawa State Police Commissioner, Emmanuel Obiako, who paraded the LP senatorial candidate and the 32 youths, said no weapons were found on them after a careful search by his men.

He, however, said investigation was still on, adding that the police believed the youths had weapons hidden somewhere to perpetrate violence during the botched election.

“They made confessional statements that they were brought in for violence,” the police commissioner said, adding that they would be charged to court on completion of investigation.

But Ambaka, who owned up to have brought in the youths, denied bringing them for the purpose of fomenting trouble, noting, however, that they were imported for use as agents since he did not have confidence in his party men resisting tips or bribes to sell him out.

“I do not know anything about Boko Haram; not to talk of having any link with them. In fact, when my friend contacted the boys, I asked them not to carry weapons or anything incriminating and the police can even attest to the fact that none of them was arrested with any weapon,” Ambaka said.

Labour Party Chairman in the state, Dauda Mohammed, refused to comment on the arrest when contacted and the LP governorship aspirant, Nawani Aboki’s phone was unavailable.

Reacting to the development, PDP Secretary in the state, Adamu Oyanki, disclosed that he was shocked on hearing the matter, regretting that at a time the whole nation was preaching peaceful polls, somebody was importing thugs.

“If Ambaka did not have people in Nasarawa to use as agents, why did he go into the election, only to embark on importation of persons who do not have any stake in the politics of the state?

“It portends disaster, insecurity, problems for us. Politics should not be seen as a matter of life and death. We should abide by the rules of the game.

“Bringing people to intimidate, maim and kill is not good for our politics. It will not bring progress,” Oyanki added.

On his part, CPC Chairman in the state, Hamidu Harun,a commended the police for acting promptly, saying “we in the CPC do not support violence.”

He urged the police to carry out proper investigation to establish Ambaka’s real intention.
Recalling that making arrests on the eve of elections in Nigeria was not new,the CPC chairman said that such alleged incidents in the past were never prosecuted .