Matilda Omonaiye/
Police authorities have summoned political parties’ leaders in Lagos State to an emergency meeting following the reported vandalisation of campaign billboards of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Jimi Agbaje, in strategic locations in the metropolis.
Police made this known in a statement today by Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State command, Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent of Police.
The decision was taken after Agbaje made a formal report of the development to the Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, the statement explains.
NewmakersNG had exclusively reported the vandalisation of Agbaje’s campaign billboards on the Third Mainland Bridge today.
The statement by the police reads: “The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Edgal Imohimi, this 1st day of December, 2018, at about 0915hrs, received a complaint from the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in Lagos, Mr. Jimi Agbaje to the effect that his campaign boards were vandalized and removed by unknown persons. The complainant went further to post his concern on the social media alleging the vandalisation and removal of the aforementioned items.
See Agbaje’s tweet on the destruction of his billboards below:
Early this morning our boards were vandalized and removed just as campaign commenced. Some of our deployment staff were also threatened with violence and warned to desist. pic.twitter.com/Ub7RPo6tq4
— Jimi Agbaje (@jimiagbaje) December 1, 2018
“To this end, the CP directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti Yaba, to set up a monitoring team comprising the Command’s Riders unit, to daily monitor and arrest anybody seen vandalising or defacing campaign posters or boards.
“In addition, the Commissioner of Police has directed that invitation letters be sent to state Chairmen of all political parties in the state, their flag bearers, the INEC and other stakeholders for a meeting scheduled to hold on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, at 11am, at the Police Officers’ Mess, GRA, Ikeja.
“This is to further drive home the fact that there is no alternative to peace and the need for all political parties, their candidates and supporters to shun acts capable of breaching the public peace.”
“Constrained by limited manpower, there is no way the Command could post policemen to cover all campaign posters in the state but the much it can do, is to adopt the Aberdeen System in protecting campaign adverts and to solicit the cooperation of all and sundry in ensuring the maintenance of law and order,” the statement adds.
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