Police ruffle Labour Party National Chairman, Abure whisk him away  

 

Labour Party National Chairman, Julius Abure, has been arrested by the police in Benin, Edo State capital. 

Abure’s arrest comes two days after Labour Party state chairmen passed a vote of confidence on the embattled chairman amid allegation of financial impropriety levelled against him by the party’s suspended treasurer, Mrs Oluchi Oprah. 

Mrs Oprah had accused Abure of misappropriating over N3 billion out of the N3.5 billion raised for the 2023 election campaigns. 

“Apart from the proceeds of the sale of forms from his home state of Edo – which was diverted to Mr Abure’s private accounts, he only declared N55 million to me as Treasurer, of the over N3.5 billion raised, pocketing the rest for himself,” Oluchi had claimed.

In what looks like a chaotic scene, police officers stormed Abure’s residence and forcefully arrested him amid protest by supporters. 

The arrest is also coming hours to the Labour Party governorship primary in Edo. 

According to some party loyalists, the order to arrest Abure came from Abuja and was effected by police and Department of State Services (DSS). 

The reason for Abure’s arrest, according to party officials, was to destabilise the Labour Party ahead of the September 21, 2024 Edo governorship election. 

 

BREAKING: In a dramatic turn of events today in Benin, Edo state, the Nigerian Police have apprehended Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party.

The circumstances leading to his arrest are not clear at this time, however, it is widely believed to be related to the… pic.twitter.com/LIxdVvonrf

— Imran Muhammad (@Imranmuhdz) February 21, 2024