The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Kwara State on Monday called for the intervention of Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abba Suleiman on the incessant violent activities of political thugs believed to be loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The CNPP which was reacting to the attack on Channels Television crew – journalists last Saturday by political thugs of a faction of the PDP in the state, said the intervention of the IG became imperative as the state police command seems helpless in tackling the situation.

Addressing a crowded press conference in Ilorin on Monday, the CNPP chairman, Alh. Adebayo Lawal lamented that the channels TV journalists were “beaten heartlessly and their camera damaged beyond repair on Saturday, 29th of November by political thugs sponsored by a faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the venue of PDP State Assembly primary election in Ilorin West local government area of Kwara state”.

He said that the unfortunate development “has gone down the memory lane as the worst attack against press freedom since the creation of Kwara State on the 27th of May, 1967.

“With incontrovertible evidences that Kwara PDP has adopted thuggery as the modus operandi with which it intends to pursue the 2015 general elections, we call for the intervention of Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abba Suleiman because the Kwara State Police Command is seemingly helpless.

“We call on President Goodluck Jonathan to call his violent party members in Kwara State to order. The peaceful people of Kwara State will resist attempts by PDP politicians, guarded by unbridled ambitions and selfish interests, to change the State of Harmony to the State of Mayhem

“We have called this Press Conference to condemn the attack on journalists, to sympathise with pressmen and to address the threat to our democracy at this particular time. The attack on pressmen by political thugs is highly condemnable and unfortunate”, he stated.

The CNPP also condemned “the reported attack on Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s convoy by PDP thugs recently at Kaiama. If PDP thugs could attack Mr Governor’s convoy with the retinue of security aides, If PDP thugs could attack Channels TV crew, who knows who the rampaging thugs will attack tomorrow? Maybe, it will be reporters of Punch Newspapers, The Nation Newspapers etc

“The attack on innocent journalists and other violent activities that have been traced to the doorsteps of PDP in Kwara State call for sincere concern from the people of Kwara State, both at home and abroad, and all lovers of democracy. The PDP has constituted itself as a perpetual threat to the peace and stability of Kwara state”.

Lawal added “quite disturbing is the fact that media sources have fingered the minister of National Planning, Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman of involvement and culpability in the whole crises. It is shocking that Mr Minister left his duties at Abuja to coordinate violence in Kwara State. The people of Kwara State need to know if, indeed, he ordered PDP thugs to attack Channels TV crew? What was his role in the whole crises? Apparently, if the media sources’ claims are true, his involvement is unministerial.

“It is most scandalous and worrisome that the victim’s personal account of his ordeal that, “thugs were beating us right in the presence of the security operatives and they were just looking at us as if somebody’s life was not as stake”, is a great indictment on the security operatives. Why on earth should security operatives looked away while journalists on duty were being assaulted by PDP thugs?

“This revelation signals to either the partisanship or incompetence, or both, of the security operatives. The Police Command can not continue to pay lip services to fighting political thuggery in Kwara State neither can they stop political thuggery in Kwara State on the pages of newspapers. Hitherto, many PDP thugs have been arrested, how many have been prosecuted?