DRAMA : DSS DETAINS EX-BENUE GOV, SUSWAM, PDP REACTS
Former governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam, has been detained by the Department of State Service in Abuja.
According to reports, the former governor was invited by the DSS on Tuesday.
Although the reason for detaining the ex Governor who is said to have senatorial ambition was not revealed officially, a source close to Suswam said his detention was connected to a petition submitted to the DSS by a politician from Benue.
The source said, “We learnt that a top politician sent a petition to the agency over an alleged crime in the state. It was based on this that he was said to have been invited.”
Another source added that the former governor was invited to clear his name on another issue different from the allegation by the said politician.
Efforts made by newsmen to get official reaction to the detention of the former governor were not successful as none of the DSS officials was ready to speak on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, has reacted bitterly towards the arrest and detention of the former governor.
The PDP said there was no justification for the arrest of Suswam, which it said was politically motivated.
At a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Mr. Ologbondiyan said that the arrest of Suswam was to prevent him from attending a political meeting scheduled to hold in the North-Central soon.
Ologbondiyan also alleged that the arrest was part of the plan by the Federal Government to clamp down on members of the opposition party.
He said, “The wicked clampdown has started. Only yesterday (Wednesday), we were made aware of the arrest and detention of former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, who has been kept incommunicado without access to his lawyers, while the Federal Government is not forthcoming with the details of the reasons behind the arrest and detention.
“However, we know that his arrest and detention is intended to put him out of circulation so that he will not take part in the mega meetings of our party planned for the North-Central states.
“There are already fears that other opposition leaders and dissenting voices have been placed under watch and will be dragged in and framed up on security charges, so as to keep them out of circulation ahead of the elections.”
PUNCH NEWS