As early as 7 am, a group of mobile and regular police officers, along with members of the Civil Defence Corps and Live Stock Guards, barricaded the gates and blocked all roads leading to the secretariat using their operational vehicles.

The ongoing crisis within the All Progress Congress (APC) in Benue State has taken a turn for the worse on Friday as anti-riot police officers took over the party’s secretariat.

As early as 7 am, a group of mobile and regular police officers, along with members of the Civil Defence Corps and Live Stock Guards, barricaded the gates and blocked all roads leading to the secretariat using their operational vehicles.

A mild drama also occurred when the Police Command halted the State Executive Council Meeting (SEC) and the APC stakeholders meeting, which were scheduled for today and organized by the Comrade Austin Agada-led exco of the party.

In a letter addressed to the APC chairman Comrade Austin Agada, the Commissioner of Police Emmanuel Adesina declared: “The State Executive Council meeting and all kinds of political meeting be suspended till further notice.”

The letter signed and issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police ( DCP) Samuel Gimba said the SEC meeting must be suspended based on a directive from Governor Hyacinth Alia suspending all forms of political meetings and gathering in the state.

The police statement stressed that the decision was taken due to volatile security atmosphere in Benue.