July 18, 2018

Suspected political thugs on Wednesday destroyed some constituency projects of Sen. Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West) at two Locations in Lokoja metropolis, few hours to their inauguration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that one of the projects, a block of four furnished classrooms at Government Girls Secondary School, Sarkin-Noma, was torched in the early hours of Wednesday.

Speaking with newsmen, a female student of the school (name withheld) said she got to school early this morning (Wednesday) to meet the fully-furnished classroom on fire.

She said students, who were in the last week of their final examinations, were turned back as a result of the incident as chairs, desks, boards and all wooden furniture, as well as electrical appliances, were burnt to ashes.

Also at UBE Junior Secondary School (JSS), Lokongoma in Lokoja, the iron windows, ceilings, white boards and electrical fittings, including ceiling fans in the block of four classrooms, were destroyed.

When NAN visited the Lokongoma, a detachment of men of the Nigeria Police were seen in and around the school premises to provide security against further attack on the project.

The attack on the (Sen. Dino Melaye Constituency Project FCT/TB/2016(2)001) Lokongoma project, was said to have been carried out at about 2:30 am Wednesday by unknown group of youthful thugs, forcing the civilian security guards to run for their lives.

Speaking on behalf of the government when he visited the site of the burnt facilities, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, Director General, Media and Publicity to the state governor,  said state government had directed security operatives to fish out the arsonists.

“Irrespective of who is doing the project, the fund is from the government; weather it is the executive or legislature, such projects should rather be applauded, and not destroyed,” he said.

Mrs Rosemary Osinkoya, the state Commissioner for Education, who also visited the sites, said government would not rest until the perpetrators were fished out and brought to book.

“Exams are ongoing and these building has been in use since January 2018. We expect that people will respect the sanctity of education. This act is masterminded and not accidental”, she said.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after inspecting the extent of damage on the facilities, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Monday Kuryas, said the long arm of the law would catch up with the perpetrators, sooner or later.

He said the arson and other destruction were pre-meditated as the arsonists braced with tyres which they used in burning down the building and damaging some other structures.

Kuryas said the police had commenced investigation into the matter and would soon apprehend the perpetrators.

NAN gathered that a faceless thuggery group had on Tuesday issued leaflets warning the senator to forget about the scheduled constituency projects inauguration or face their wrath.