Stop further bloodshed in Edo –Akhigbe

A former Chief of General Staff, Adm. Mike Akhigbe, on Tuesday  warned authorities against dragging the Action Congress of Nigeria chairmanship candidate in Etsako Central Local Government Area, Emma Momoh, to court  over last Thursday’s clashes  in Fugar. He said the  planned  arraignment of Momoh, who was arrested by the police and taken to Abuja,  could spark further bloodletting in the area.
Two persons were killed  while  houses and cars  were destroyed  during  clashes between Peoples Democratic Party and ACN youths in the area.
ACN leaders in the area  accused the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, of ordering Momoh’s arrest.
But Akhigbe, who   condemned the police for what he described as biased handling of the matter, questioned the decision  to arrest the ACN candidate, “alone when he was not even at the scene of the incident.”
He said, “I strongly kick against taking him to Abuja. What is the interest of the Presidency in this matter? They want to cook up charges against Momoh, but that will be dangerous because our people will react.
“Though no matter what they try to do, our people will vote the candidate of their choice. Rather than arresting the candidate of the ACN, why have the people not been able to arrest the perpetrators of this crime? The police  actions so  far is shameful.”
State Police Commissioner, Foluso Adebanjo, had on Monday, said  four persons were arrested for the killing, and denied taking sides or being teleguided over the matter.
“We are not taking sides. We cannot do that here. Nobody teleguides us here; we do our job professionally,” he had said.