TUC expresses shock over Senator Abe’s shooting

The Trade Union Congress has expressed shock over the shooting by the police of Senator Magnus Abe and others at the Save Rivers Rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The union, in a statement on Wednesday, said it was particularly concerned that officers and men of the Rivers State Police Command carried out the shooting.
It said this had become obvious despite the denial by the police.
The statement, signed by the TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, and Secretary General, Musa Lawal, reads in full: “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria is appalled at last Sunday’s shooting of Senator Magnus Abe, lawmaker representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, and several other members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who had gathered at Rivers State College of Arts and Science where the party had planned to hold a mobilisation rally. We are particularly concerned that members of the Rivers State Police Command are allegedly responsible for the shooting.
“The police claim they shot no bullet at the venue of the rally, so we wonder who did. One thing for sure: each pre-election year since 1999 has been marred by politically motivated murders and wanton threats to peaceful existence. But for providence the life of Senator Abe might have been wasted. Hopefully more details on this latest incident will soon unfold and disclose the truth of the matter.
“The Congress discerns that this and many other violent clashes that have occurred in the state within recent months are politically orchestrated by some politicians to intimidate and emasculate their real and perceived opponents ahead of the forthcoming 2015 general elections. It is rather unfortunate that such dastardly acts of brutality are being perpetrated because of elections that are still more than a year away. Yet no one, including our politicians, knows what tomorrow holds.
“We are also disturbed by reports of proliferation of arms and ammunitions in the country. We recall reported assertions by Frank Mbah, spokesman of Nigeria Police Force, that there are over ten million illegal arms in West Africa and that about seventy percent of them are in the hands of Nigerians. He further affirmed that two million guns are in the hands of Nigerian civilians – one million registered and the remaining one million illegally held by criminals and other people. If these claims are anything to go by, it means that nobody is safe in this country.
“Only recently the Kebbi State Police Command announced the discovery of caches of arms and ammunition buried by unknown persons, thus apparently confirming reports of massive arms build-up across the country. Also last week three people were reportedly killed when security agents engaged some unidentified gunmen in a battle to save members of the family of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State. If left unchecked, these incidents and their likes could disrupt our hard-earned democracy.
“As if to confirm our fears, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified the problem of insecurity as one of the major impediments to the conduct of elections in Nigeria. It is our hope that the security challenges in Rivers State, the North-East and other parts of the country will be resolved before 2015. We certainly do not subscribe to an atmosphere that would render the peaceful conduct of elections impossible and prompt the postponement of the elections.
“The Congress calls on the presidency and security agencies to take pro-active steps to re-establish total peace and security in the country. They would also do well to ensure that we have hitch-free elections in 2015. We also advise all politicians to desist from using violence and other unlawful means to attain power. It is the prerogative of God, often expressed through the people’s votes, to give power to whomsoever He pleases.”