Police Confirm Disruption Of ADC Political Meeting In Cross River
Police Confirm Incident in Bakassi
THE Nigeria Police Force in Cross River State has confirmed the disruption of a political gathering organised by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Bakassi Local Government Area.
Police spokesperson in the state, Sunday Eitokpah, disclosed this on Sunday while reacting to a viral video circulating online showing the incident.
The video captured suspected political thugs storming the venue of the event and disrupting preparations ahead of the gathering.
Hoodlums Scatter Event Materials
According to the police, the incident occurred on Saturday just as the event was about to begin.
Eitokpah said the suspected hoodlums suddenly arrived at the venue and began destroying equipment and materials prepared for the political meeting.
“The event was about to commence when hoodlums from nowhere came and scattered the canopies, chairs and sound systems,” he said.
In the viral video, one of the suspected thugs was reportedly heard instructing others to scatter the venue, claiming that the ADC had not been active in the area while members of the All Progressives Congress were “busy fixing the council area.”
Police Move to Prevent Escalation
Following the disruption, the police said officers and tactical units were immediately deployed to the scene to restore order and prevent the situation from escalating into violence.
Eitokpah said the security presence helped to stabilise the situation in the area.
However, he noted that the event could not proceed after the disruption.
“Officers and tactical teams are at the scene. The event couldn’t continue again. In such a chaotic situation, and considering the volatile nature of the area, for now no arrests have been made,” he explained.
Concerns Over Political Tension
The disruption in Bakassi is the latest in a series of incidents involving the party’s activities in the state.
Earlier in the week, a similar disruption occurred during another political gathering organised by the ADC in Calabar.
Following the earlier incident, the party raised concerns over what it described as attempts by political actors to hijack its structure in the state.
Police Monitoring Situation
Security agencies say they are closely monitoring the situation to ensure that political activities in the state do not degenerate into violence.
The police reiterated their commitment to maintaining law and order and ensuring that citizens and political parties can carry out lawful activities without intimidation.
Authorities also urged political actors and their supporters to conduct their activities peacefully and in accordance with the law.
