The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has voiced apprehensions over the prolonged detainment of their party’s publicity secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, by the Department of State Services (DSS). Iortyom, who was summoned for a discussion with the DSS director on Monday, October 16, 2023, has yet to be released, raising significant concerns within the political landscape.
Expressing the party’s distress, Azua Ashongo, the Vice Chairman of the PDP in Benue North East, issued a statement on Monday evening highlighting the party’s growing unease at the continuous confinement of their fellow party member.
He said,
“Earlier today, (October 16, 2023), the DSS invited the Benue State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, for what was termed a chat with the state Director of the Service.
“Though the reason for the invitation was not stated, I, along with the Media Consultant of the party, C.T Hwande, and a representative of the state Legal Adviser, accompanied Mr Iortyom to honour the invitation.
“We arrived at the DSS headquarters in Makurdi at exactly 12:47 pm and were warmly received by one Danlami Imam, who we later discovered is in charge of the Political Desk of the Command.”
“Ten minutes after our arrival, Imam returned to us and asked us to leave as the Director who demanded the invitation of the PDP spokesman was busy with other official engagements and would not be seeing us immediately. He said he would not want to make it look like Iortyom was being detained by the Service.
“We left the DSS premises and barely 20 minutes after we arrived at the Party Secretariat, there was a call from the same Mr Imam requesting that we return to the command headquarters, indicating that, the Director was now available and ready to meet with Mr Iortyom,” he explained.
In a subsequent update, Ashongo mentioned that Iortyom had driven back to the DSS headquarters and was accompanied by the party’s state Treasurer, Philip Bemgbe.
“As soon as we arrived, at about 2:11 pm, two gentlemen walked up to us, claiming to be from the office of the Director and took Bemgba Iortyom away. All efforts by us to accompany him failed as we were told that only Bemgba Iortyom was invited by the Command.”
At the same time, the state governor, Alia, has disassociated himself from the apprehension of the opposition party leader.
“And because we were not allowed access to him, one can not say, for sure, if his invitation was as a result of a petition written against him or a complaint from any quarter or better still, was in a friendly chat with the Commands Director.”
“And with the recent remarks by the incumbent Governor, Hyacinth Alia, it is difficult not to link him with this sudden invitation of Mr Iortyom by the DSS and his imminent detention,” Ashongo further said.
At the same time, the state governor, Alia, has disassociated himself from the apprehension of the opposition party leader.
The governor’s media aide, Kula Tersoo, in a text message sent to journalists, said,
“We have no hands in that. We only read on Facebook that he was invited by the DSS. But he wrote again that the invitation was deactivated.”
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The lack of clarity surrounding the reasons for Iortyom’s detainment has only served to intensify the party’s worries, leading to calls for transparency and a prompt resolution to the matter.
