Polls: Oshiomhole petitions army over illegal deployment of soldiers

Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has threatened to drag authorities of the Nigerian Army before the International Criminal Court over alleged terror unleashed on APC members and journalists covering the elections in Edo North and Central Ssenatorial Districts by operatives of the army.

The governor made the threat in a petition he made to the Commander of the 4 Brigade Headquarters of the Nigerian Army in Benin City, Brig-Gen. Olajide Laleye.

The governor had earlier raised the alarm over alleged ploy to use the Army to intimidate APC supporters in the state last Friday. He threatened to drag the army to the ICC if they allow themselves to be used by the PDP.

Oshiomhole in the petition decried what he described as illegal deployment of soldiers in Owan Federal Constituency and other parts of Edo North Senatorial District by Lt. Col Abiodun Uwadia (retd), the Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, during the National Assembly and Presidential elections in Edo state.‎

The Governor in the petition he personally signed, said: “reports reaching me indicated that Lt Col.Uwadia (retd) had illegally and unconstitutionally deployed not less than 3 trucks of soldiers to Owan Federal constituency which was used to harass and intimidate members of the APC in the Federal constituency. As I write, the said retired Lt Col. was also issuing threats and directing the soldiers to shoot at sight any APC member that resists his directives during and after the elections.

“Evidently, the conduct of the aforementioned political office holder is not only illegal and unconstitutional, but flagrant abuse of the military. It is not only reprehensible, it is unacceptable to abuse and misuse the army for purely partisan purposes. I wish to request you use your good office to call Uwadia to order and stop this illegal and unconstitutional deployment of soldiers for purely partisan objectives during elections.

“Failure to stem this patently illegal action can result in consequences that are likely to go beyond the shores of Nigeria. The world is watching.”