Toba Owojaiye ReportingÂ
Abuja, Nigeria
In a recent development, Lauretta Onochie, former Chairperson of The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and ex-President’s Special Assistant, has weighed in on the incident that befell the NLC chairman, shedding light on the situation and commending the police for their timely intervention.
She said that It’s often easy to criticize law enforcement when they are perceived as high-handed, but it’s equally essential to acknowledge their commendable actions. Onochie’s statement brings attention to this aspect while elucidating the circumstances surrounding the NLC chairman’s predicament.
Lauretta pointed out that Imo State is currently preparing for an off-season gubernatorial election set to take place on the 11th of November. This political backdrop sets the stage for the unfolding events.
In her opinion, Joe Ajaero, The National Chairman of NLC , also a prominent figure within the Labour Party from Imo State, returned to his hometown with the intent of rallying support for his political party. However, the situation took an unexpected turn as he inadvertently referred to this gathering as a protest, rather than a campaign event.
This miscommunication led to confusion among the participants, many of whom had anticipated a protest but found themselves in the midst of a Labour Party rally. Frustrated by this deception, tempers flared, eventually erupting into a physical altercation.
The altercation resulted in injuries to Joe Ajaero and several other individuals present. The situation could have taken a much graver turn if it weren’t for the prompt response of the Nigeria Police. They intervened, rescuing Ajaero and the other affected parties, subsequently placing them in protective custody.
Onochie expressed her gratitude to the Police Service for their swift and effective response to avert a potentially dire situation. She called for their continued commitment to such actions in the future.
In her concluding statement, Lauretta Onochie affirmed the accuracy of the presented information and encouraged the public to form their judgments based on the facts provided in this report. The incident in Imo State serves as a reminder of the intricacies surrounding political events and the importance of effective law enforcement in maintaining peace and order.