Nigeria Sliding into Gestapo State under APC, Says Makarfi-led PDP

Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi yesterday said the nation was fast drifting into a dictatorship and possible anarchy under the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led federal government.

The leadership of the PDP National Caretaker Committee alleged that prominent leaders and citizens especially, the governors, ministers and other public office holders during the previous PDP administration had been arrested in a Gestapo manner and detained indefinitely without trial.

It said the actions of the APC-led administration is a clear case of injustice and vendetta, adding that it should charge all those in detention to court as a matter of urgency and free all those granted bail by the courts immediately.

In a statement issued yesterday by its spokesman, Dayo Adeyeye, the factional leadership listed those who have so far been arrested by security agents to include the former Governor of Benue State, Hon. Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu and the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), who has been in custody for about two years now without trial.

Adeyeye lamented that similar brutality, arrest and mindless detention had gone on with other PDP leaders and members who were arrested by either the Department of State Services (DSS) or the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“It is no gainsaying that under the present APC-led government, the agencies arrest suspects, convict them in the media and detain them against the law before they are proven innocent or otherwise by the court. It is also very clear in the Constitution of Nigeria that no security agency has the right or power to detain suspects more than 48 hours without trial.

“Ironically, while former leaders and members of PDP are being arrested indiscriminately and detained without trial; other former office holders of the ruling APC who have been accused of various corrupt practices are yet to be arrested but instead are compensated with juicy ministerial appointments. Double standards!

“We wish to further assure the public that the PDP is not against the anti-corruption fight. Our stand is that the present APC government must follow due process in dealing with issues of corruption as the PDP did during its governments without violating human rights of citizens especially, those suspects that may later be found innocent by the law court,” he said.