The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue has urged security agencies to investigate the alleged assassination of their member, Jasper Dzughgba.
A press statement signed by its Acting State Publicity Secretary, Mr James Ornguga, alleged that Dzughgba was assassinated at the Adikpo Y-junction, in Kwande Local Government on Monday July 1.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that late Dzughgba, before his death, was the immediate past Leader of Kwande Legislative Council.
Ornguga said the late APC stalwart was a critical witness in both the Benue State Governorship Elections’ Petitions Tribunal and the National Assembly Elections’ Petitions Tribunal sitting in Makurdi.
“Benue APC finds the circumstances surrounding his murder by unidentified assassins as strange and suspect a possible ploy by the murderers to kill an eloquent witness at the tribunal.”
The statement described the late Dzughgba as a “strong APC loyalist”, who refused to yield to the pressure of defecting to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) when majority of his colleagues defected.
“Hon. Dzughgba was until his assassination, the immediate-past Leader of Kwande Legislative Council and a critical witness in both the Benue State Governorship Election Petition and the Zone A Senatorial Petition before the tribunal.
“As a strong loyalist of the All Progressives Congress, Dzughgba had stood his ground, rejecting out rightly, the pressure to defect to the PDP when majority of his fellow Councillors `cross-carpeted’.
“The party commiserates with the Dzughgba family and Kwande APC over the death of a loyal party member and calls on security agents to unravel all the mysteries surrounding his death and bring the assassins to justice.”
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ms Sewuese Anene, confirmed the assassination of Dzughgba by unknown gunmen at Adikpo, Kwande LG.
Anene said investigations into the matter was ongoing.
