Arrest in Benin City Follows Petition by Expelled Youth Leader Amidst Internal Party Turmoil
The embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party, Barrister Julius Abure, has been arrested by the police in Benin City, Edo State, following allegations of premeditated attempted murder and other infractions. The details surrounding his arrest remain sketchy at the time of this report, but two members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) confirmed the development to Daily Trust in Abuja.
The arrest comes after a petition lodged by a former Labour Party Youth Leader, Comrade Eragbe Anselm Aphimia, who was expelled from the party amidst the crisis that engulfed it in 2023. In the petition addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Aphimia recounts a violent attack he experienced on December 29, 2023, allegedly orchestrated by individuals associated with Abure.
Aphimia’s petition describes how he and his colleague were ambushed outside a hotel in Benin City after being lured there under false pretenses by individuals claiming to represent party stakeholders. This incident reportedly led to the arrest of Abure on charges related to attempted murder.
This isn’t the first time Abure has faced allegations of financial mismanagement and misconduct within the Labour Party. Previously, Mrs. Oluchi Oparah, the suspended national treasurer, accused him of mishandling party funds totaling N3.5 billion from the sale of nomination forms for the 2023 general elections. Despite Abure’s denial of these allegations, internal turmoil within the party intensified, leading to further scrutiny of its finances and records by a reputable audit firm, as requested by the party’s Presidential candidate and National Leader, Mr. Peter Obi.
In a recent meeting in Abuja, the 36 state chairmen and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) representatives of the Labour Party rejected the financial fraud allegations against Abure. However, with the recent arrest and the ongoing investigation, the future of the party’s leadership remains uncertain amidst internal strife and external legal challenges.
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