Police Grill Nigerian Council Chairman, Oche, Over Alleged Use Of Vigilantes To Attack Political Opponents

Hon James Oche, the chairman of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, has been questioned by police.

The man is currently being grilled by the police in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

He is being grilled by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Abuja.

Oche was accused of physically assaulting perceived political opponents.

Oche and his gang members allegedly attacked people at Double K Hotel in Otukpo with 50 members of the Benue State Volunteers Guard.

Oche eventually went to the police after turning down multiple invitations in the last month.

Another suspect, one Hon. Mark Johnson Odey, who is said to have dispossessed the victims of their phones, money, and other belongings is also in the police net.

However, Oche's deputy, Sunday Aboh, another accomplice, was still at large at the time of filing this report.

The member representing Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency, Dr. Francis Ottah Agbo, described the incident as politics of bitterness taken too far.

"The savage violence unleashed on Hon. Williams Ochonu and other members of my constituency in Otukpo, from which they suffered various degrees of injuries smacks of politics of bitterness and should be condemned by all well-meaning citizens!" he said.

The lawmaker, however, said that "humanity is one and it is high time we moved away from politics of violence and bitterness to politics of issues and development."

Meanwhile, Oche, in a statement, claimed that the victims tried to overpower and disarm over 50 guards.

"On suspecting the presence of the volunteer guards, attempt to escape but two out of the three were overpowered and arrested while the other is at large," he said.