With about 24 hours to the court judgment on Abia State crisis, Abia State government on Sunday, July 3, 2016 said it had uncovered plots by desperate politicians to kidnap judicial officers in the state.
A terse statement issued by the chief press secretary to the governor, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos and obtained by The Trent, warns the perpetrators of the plot to desist from it in their own interest.
He said, “We call on security agencies in the state to increase surveillance and protection services around all the judicial officers in the state. We wish to warn those involved in this plot to desist from their nefarious activities as the government will not hesitate to apply the full weight of the law against them.
“We also call on Abians to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement around them to the security.”
Abia Governorship Tussle
Governor Ikpeazu is facing a legal challenge from a bitter rival from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Charges Ogah. A federal high court in Abuja disqualified Dr. Ikpeazu, last Wednesday on account of alleged forged tax returns.
Ikpeazu had filed an appeal and obtained a stay of execution, against the Justice Okon Abang judgement which threw Abia State into a leadership crisis by ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to issue a certificate of return to Ogah, who did not contest any election.
INEC went on to issue the certificate of return to Ogah in disobedience to the court injunction.
Meanwhile, a high court in Abia has issued an injunction against the swearing-in of Dr. Ogah. Reports from Abia on Friday claimed that the chief judge of the state had “disappeared”.
However, Sunday, Justice Theresa Uzokwe issued a statement denying the reports saying she is “on ground” in Umuahia, the state’s capital. She said the reports were the handiwork of desperate politicians.
“We have become children of war in Abia, and we must fight war,” Governor Ikpeazu told his supporters who trooped into Government House, Umuahia in solidarity on Friday, July 1, 2016.
