Heavily armed policemen in several pick-up patrol vehicles on Wednesday stationed themselves at strategic positions on Blantyre Street, where the All Progressives Congress [APC] National Secretariat is located in Abuja after the Caretaker Committee expressed fear of a likely invasion by party supporters who planned demonstrations.
The presence of the security personnel was most visible at the entry and exit points into the street and only people with valid identification cards were allowed to pass the police barricades. No official reactions have been issued by the party over the security deployment but it was gathered that the policemen were invited by the leadership of the APC to secure the location after information leaked that party supporters were planning to demonstrate at the headquarters over the last state primaries which resulted in crisis and produced parallel executives in many states. The policemen at the APC Headquarters were being assisted by some operatives of the Department of State Service, [DSS]. Our correspondent learnt that the security personnel mobilised to the secretariat as early as 6 am and stationed themselves at strategic areas of the street while others milled around patrolling the environment.
Some party officials, whose offices are at the secretariat, reporters covering the beat and workers allegedly approached the National Headquarters with caution on Wednesday unaware of the reason for the deployment while others, who feared an altercation, simply turned around and went back home. Our correspondent gathered that staff and reporters who had valid accreditation and ID cards issued by the party were allowed to enter the secretariat without problems. The police were not withdrawn as of the time of filing this report in the evening hours. The Caretaker Committee Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, who spoke to newsmen on the development, confirmed that the leadership called the security operatives adding that the move was sequel to a security report. He insisted that there was no cause for alarm but stressed that there was a real need to protect the secretariat at the moment.
His words: “It’s a routine thing. The police liaise with the FCT Minister, the IGP and other people if they have any information. Not only here, if you are coming to Abuja, going to the airport, but we also have the duty to protect the people who work here. “We read security reports and I’m sure you are fully aware we have every security agency in our Secretariat. We are only acting on security reports, there is no cause for alarm,” he said.