Why I Was Arrested, Says Suswam

Indications emerged on Friday that the arrest of the former governor of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam, by the State Security Service (DSS) was informed by petition from some unnamed chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue and not in connection with alleged sponsorship of killer herdsmen.

A close aide of Suswam, who preferred to remain anonymous, claimed that resurgence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state was irking some APC bigwigs who believe the only way to clip him was on trumped up allegations.

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However, THE WHISTLER learnt that Suswam who was invited by the Nigeria secret police and later detained was based on a petition by a high ranking politician, alleging that the former governor was habouring Mr. Terwase Akwaza, a.k.a ‘Ghana’ who is wanted for several killings in the state.

The police had declared Akwaza wanted, following the killing of about 17 people in Zaki Biam, Benue State, in March last year.

But the aide insisted it was a ruse as the decamping of over 5, 000 APC members in Adikpo, Kwande local government was too hard to bear.

“You know penultimate Friday that APC chieftain Chief John Akpereshi Gum decamped alongside 5, 000 to the PDP and some people think the only way to stop the PDP momentum is to lay false allegations against His Excellency (Suswam). He is the only governor that has gone through so much ordeal in the hands of the DSS (SSS) but we are confident he will come out unscathed.”

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Suswam was arrested last Tuesday and is allegedly have been denied access to his lawyers, family members, associates.

The aide further added that, the recent arrest has nothing to do with the Governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom but some political bigwigs in Benue North East Senatorial District that allegedly petition the former governor been the mastermind of the killings in the state.

In 2017, the SSS arrested Suswam that arms and ammunition and other incriminating items were recovered in some exotic cars in a complex which it claimed belonged to the former governor.

He was kept in detention for over two months at that time and eventually released after he dragged the Service to court on his fundamental human rights.

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