The Nigeria Police Force has released the embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, who was arrested on Tuesday.
The police had said Abure was arrested for attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms, and related offences following a petition against him by a former LP Youth Leader, Comrade Eragbe Anselm Aphimia, who was expelled in the wake of crisis rocking the party in 2023.
The LP national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, confirmed that Abure, who was arrested by policemen in Benin City, the Edo State , was released early Thursday morning.
Ifoh’s comment was coming on the heels of a spokesman for the police zone, Tijani Momoh, who told Channels Television that Abure and others were released on bail on Thursday around 2am.
“Julius Abure is in his hotel room here in Benin City,” Ifoh said on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief.
“It’s true that he was arrested, brutalised yesterday (Wednesday) by a combined team of police and the DSS but he was released last night along with four others members of our party who were arrested with him.”
Momoh had also told reporters that Abure and four others were arrested over a petition written against them.
“There are video clips, recordings of the petitioner being assaulted, being beaten when he came home last year to conduct ward matters.
“It is a case of attempted murder, conspiracy, illegal possession of arms and other related offences. “They were also in possession of firearms; a short gun and three rounds of ammunition,” Momoh said.
However, Ifoh countering said Abure was not in anyway involved in the attack of a former National Youth Leader of the party.
“Abure has not committed any offence. What is happening is politics,” Ifoh stated, adding that Abure’s arrest was orchestrated to distract the party’s primary in Edo State on Friday.
He insisted that Abure wouldn’t step aside despite the attacks against him.
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