The commander of the Ebonyi State security outfit, Ebubeagu, said an All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) supporter was arrested by operatives for alleged vandalism and destruction of All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign materials.
Commandant Friday Nnanna-Ujor confirmed the arrest of Amobi Ujar to journalists in an interview on Sunday in Abakaliki.
He said the suspect was arrested at Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
He claimed that contrary to the falsehood circulated in social media of the alleged frame-up, attack and beating of the suspect by men of the outfit, the suspect was caught vandalising and destroying campaign banners belonging to the APC.
“Nobody is framing anybody up as far as the issue of campaign billboards is concerned in Ebonyi, people will destroy campaign materials in the state and allege that APC members are responsible.
“Even in meetings, Governor Dave Umahi has severally said that nobody should touch any campaign materials of any candidate despite party affiliations, and so, we strictly keep to that instruction. And, even in this state, we have severally caught PDP members tearing billboards of PDP candidates.”
Meanwhile, a relative of the suspect, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, said Mr Ujar received a phone call from a supposedly Ebubeagu informant who lured him to the ‘Why Worry’ area of Amaehara village in the Afikpo North.
The relative claimed that Mr Ujar was allegedly beaten to a coma by operatives of the outfit, who hung the campaign banner of Mr Umahi on his neck and forced him to make a ‘confessional statement’ against himself and his party, APGA.
The source said the victim, an auto-technician, felt he was called to ‘Why Worry’ to fix a faulty vehicle for some holidaymakers, unaware he was lured out to be killed.
The source further alleged that some bad eggs in the Ebubeagu outfit, who are card-carrying members of the APC, were the ones engaging in the alleged tearing of campaign posters and destruction of campaign billboards of opposition candidates.
“Ujar is just a victim of circumstance. He was in his house when someone called him and asked him to come to ‘Why Worry’, and all of a sudden, the Ebubeagu people pounced on him and started beating him.
“If not for the presence of passersby, maybe they could have even killed him.
“He was beaten and forced to say he was working for the APGA to pull down all the campaign materials of APC candidates in the area.”
(NAN)
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