APC writes Police IG over death of ex-Bayelsa PDP boss

THE leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bayelsa State yesterday wrote the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, requesting for an independent investigation into the circumstance that led to the sudden death of the former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Col. Sam Inokoba (rtd).
Nineteen days after defecting into the fold of the APC, the former chairman on Wednesday slumped and died.

Inokoba, aged 67years, was reported to have slumped and died in Lagos while on a private visit to his family. While some family members claimed that he may have died of food poisoning, others believed that the deceased’s health was frail and should have gone on a deserved holiday devoid of political activities.

But the APC in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Panebi Fortune, and copies made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, stated that the sudden death of Col. Inokoba needed further clarification.

The letter reads: “The PDP had since the defection of Inokoba to the APC two weeks ago made open statements that Col. Inokoba would not last.
‘’Looking at the weighty statement side by side with his sudden death in Lagos, the Inokoba death needs explanation from the PDP.”

“Even before the world could swallow the bitter and painful news of his death, a fictitious ‘news stream’ suspected to be sponsored by the officials of the Bayelsa Government had circulated the news that he died in the home of another APC leader. The known sponsors of the news and their medium (online news medium) were only trying to throw off the trail of suspicion with the fictitious news items. Their news item was followed by a state government reaction. It is painful and wicked.

“The APC family in Bayelsa State wishes to call the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to order an independent Investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. We wish to call on security operatives to step up investigation and conduct autopsy to ascertain the cause of death of the late governorship aspirant of our party.