Police arrrst politician wife

The Abia State Police Command has arrested the wife of a top politician in the state (name withheld) for alleged illegal possession of sensitive electoral materials.

According to information available to The PUNCH, the politician is still at large as he allegedly fled when police stormed his house at Amiyi Nvosi in Isiala Ngwa-South Local Government Area last Friday.

Addressing journalists at the Abia State Police Headquarters on Saturday evening, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Abia Government House, Chief Charles Ogbonnaya, alleged that sensitive electoral materials were recovered from the home of the suspect.

He identified ballot papers, result sheets and police walkie talkie as some of the items recovered from the suspect.

Ogbonnaya commended the police “for a job well done,” adding that “somebody from the same Nvosi was sometime ago arrested with 120 Permanent Voter Cards.”

He alleged that the suspect was a close ally of the governorship candidate of a prominent opposition party in the state.

Ogbonnaya said, “We want the public to know that PDP does not rig elections. It is APGA that rigs election. The suspect is not a PDP member. This was how they rigged PDP out in Isiala Nwga-South.”

He, therefore, urged the police not to allow the matter to be swept under the carpet.

Meanwhile, officers at the D7 Department in the state’s command headquarters, where the suspect was allegedly detained, refused to grant journalists access to the suspect, saying that the Abia Police Commissioner, Joshak Habila, has to authorise access to the suspect.

Attempts to reach the CP were unsuccessful but when contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ezekiel Onyeke, said he had yet to get details of the matter and promised to get back to our correspondent as soon as possible.

But as of the time of filing this report on Sunday he did not call back nor pick calls our correspondent put through to his mobile telephone.

In a swift reaction, the spokesman of APGA Campaign Organisation, Chief Ahamdi Nweke, denied the allegation that the party was behind electoral malpractices in the state.

He said that the said suspect was not known to him as an APGA member and challenged PDP and police to parade the suspect.

Nweke said, “It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. PDP members are master riggers. We have evidence that a top PDP member was arrested with sensitive electoral materials by the military.