The immediate-past President of the Senate, David Mark, has accused some candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State of plotting to assassinate him ahead of the Benue South senatorial district rerun election on Saturday.
According to a Monday statement through his media aide, Paul Mumeh, the senator pointed accusing fingers at his opponent, Daniel Onjeh; his campaign director, Okpokwu Ogenyi; and the state’s Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, for allegedly plotting to send cultists to eliminate him.
The statement read: “The APC candidate for the election Daniel Onjeh, through his campaign Director, Okpokwu Ogenyi, in connivance with the state deputy governor Benson Abounu, are alleged to have hired the services of cultists to unleash terror in Benue South and in the process target Senator Mark for elimination.”
“Credible sources listed the cultists hired for the assassination to include the notorious supreme Vikings squad from Jos, Plateau state as well as the dreaded Black Axe in Makurdi Benue state.”
“Already, Senator Mark has alerted the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase of the plot by the APC stalwarts in Benue to assassinate him. The petition signed by Mark’s counsel Mr. Ken Ikonne alleged that one Okpokwu Ogenyi masterminded the plot. In the petition, Ikonne told the IGP that it is obvious that Ogenyi knows more about the assassination plot than he has revealed. ”
“Our client has therefore instructed us to petition you ( IGP) to, as a matter of urgency, apprehend and interrogate Ogenyi to throw more light on the details of this grave assassination plot before he and his associates carry out the dastardly plot. Only yesterday, police said to be attached to the State Deputy Governor Benson Abounu fired several gun shots into the family house of Senator Mark in Otukpo.”
“No reason was given for the unprovoked attack and no arrest has been made. A couple of weeks ago, Benue State chairman of the APC Mr. Abbah Yaro was quoted as saying ‘if Senator Mark wants, let him win the election in seven out of the nine local government areas but no returning officer born of a woman will dare declare him.”