The Governorship candidate of the Social Democratic party SDP, Muritala Akaka has condemned what he described as extra-judicial killing of citizens involving Kabir Okwo Bala and Atima Abdullahi.
In a statement signed by Director of Communications, Faruk Adejoh-Audu,
the SDP candidate said he is alarmed by the official confirmation of the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Akeem Yusuf that the extra-judicial execution of an All Peoples Congress (APC) Chieftain, Mallam Kabir Okwo Bala and a housewife, Atima Abdullahi by gunmen.
The attack was unleashed on the Ejule Community of Ofu Local Government Area in the early hours of Friday.
“We are aware that the late Okwo was accused of several felonies by the state commissioner of police after his execution but we totally reject the use of these allegations rightly or wrongly as excuse to kill a citizen who could easily have been arrested and prosecuted over the years if indeed the state government ever considered him a criminal. “
He further said: “But it is worth pointing out that as admitted by Police Commissioner, Okwo was freed from prison in 2018 by Governor Yahaya Bello on the grounds that he was not a criminal but a political prisoner jailed by the PDP.”
The SDP candidate said It is therefore curious that after the invasion of Ejule last night during which his family house and several other properties were burnt down by state agents, Okwo was suddenly declared a criminal.
He wants the Kogi State Government to be accountable to the people and the world on how a man previously declared innocent and granted state pardon by the same Governor Bello degenerated into such heinous crimes to the point of engaging in gun battles with the Nigerian Navy more than one year ago yet there was never any attempt to arrest and prosecute him.
