Frontline human rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) on Thursday said that the trio of rigger-politicians, former IPOB ‘Comrades’ (Renegades) and the Nigeria Police Force have strong questions to answer with regard to the new wave and maddening rate of killing of defenseless citizens and infliction of fears, panics and apprehensions on the general citizens of Anambra State.

Intersociety explained that the acts are geared towards scaring and chasing independent voters away so as to scientifically rig the Nov 6 Governorship Poll.

Intersociety, made this known in a statement jointly signed by its Principal Officers: Emeka Umeagbalalsi, Obianuju Igboeli Esq., Chidimma Udegbunam, Esq, condemning the gruesome killing of chike Akunyili.

While berating the security agencies, intersociety said it was saddened that the Nigerian security agencies particularly the Nigeria Police Force have declared full war and enmity on innocent and defenseless citizens of the country.

Citing instance, Intersociety explained that at Onitsha Niger Bridgehead by Conoil Filling Station, Mobile Police Personnel of the Anambra State Police Command supposedly deployed to checkmate the killings and other forms of offensive violence are busy chasing, harassing and extorting haulage vehicles, commercial passenger buses and private motorists as well as tricycles and pedestrians carrying food items.

It also fingered at ‘out-Service IPOB Renegade' over roles play.

It referred them to “a person or group of persons that deserts or betray an organization and its set of principles or codes and chooses or choose to operate outside the confines and dictates of the organization”.

“Therefore, those referred to as “former IPOB ‘Comrades” or “Renegades” are those that fell out with the mainstream IPOB and distanced themselves from the rules and principles of the Organization such as principles forbidding the killing of unarmed and nonviolent civilian citizens particularly those of Judeo-Christian faith and ethnic identity. They may also include some aggrieved former IPOB ‘Comrades’ who may have left and formed discreet variant “IPOB groups with ‘extremist radicalism’ such as indiscriminate use of offensive violence and resort to ostentatious materialism as their modus operandi. In other words, they are best referred to as “out-service IPOB-ESN deviants”. The involvement of Nigerian Government execution or hit squads for purpose of impersonating, stigmatizing and criminalizing IPOB and ESN is also not ruled out. Former IPOB ‘Comrades’ or Renegades are also behind the enforcement of the ‘Monday Sit-at-Home’ across Igbo Land despite same been repeatedly banned or suspended by the leadership of IPOB." intersociety said.

It further explained that the Renegades are most likely to have access to arms and some converts from “ESN deviants” tutored in the knowledge of use of small arms and light weapons, adding that with resort to indiscriminate use of small arms and other forms of offensive violence, anybody including the recently murdered Dr. Chike Akunyiri and some political parties’ agents and burning of their campaign vehicles, can be their targeted or collateral victims because they are semi independent and not armed political thugs recruited, paid and controlled by rigger-politicians – controlling them especially in the area of use of arms and other forms of offensive violence may be difficult.

It noted that the Rigger-politicians may also be interested to use them to scare and chase away majority of the voters in the forthcoming election.

The statement read further: “It is a truism that the results of the Anambra’s Nov 2017 Governorship Poll were majorly a combination of scientific rigging and mechanical demography through massive vote buying. They were too far from reflecting the true wishes of the majority of the independent and conscientious voters of the State residency. The scientific rigging was perpetrated and perfected through widespread procurement of PVCs and uploading of same via INEC servers as “validly cast votes” and legitimized by thump-printing of ballot papers in secret places to tally with the number of the uploaded PVCs.

“This was to the extent that a total of 8,540 ballot papers could not be thump-printed, only for INEC to turn around and falsely declare them as “8,540 accredited voters who did not vote”.

“The scientific rigging and massive vote buying then were made possible by IPOB’s declaration of “no more elections in Anambra State” as well as tensions, panics and fears created by deployed security agencies through issuance of security threats and threats and show of force, forcing majority of the voters to stay indoors. Today, rigger-politicians, the renegades and the security agencies particularly the Nigeria Police Force are back and at it again.

“They not only creating fears and tensions but also aligning with offensive violent groups to scare conscientious voters away and allow rigger-politicians a field day to rig scientifically through procurement and uploading of PVCs and manually through massive thump-printing of ballot papers ahead of the Election and widespread vote buying on Election Day. This is to the extent that one million “dead votes” may be lying somewhere in Imo State waiting for release in the morning of Nov 7 as “votes scored by a candidate that scored the highest lawful votes cast, therefore, it may be correct to say that INEC’s Imo facilities have already been in use before the announcement of intent to use same," it added.

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