Edo activist Precious Oruche, alias ‘Mama Pee’, has been arrested following a heated exchange with factional Labour Party (LP) National Chairman, Julius Abure, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The incident, which quickly went viral, began when Mama Pee confronted Abure as he prepared to board a Max Air flight to Benin City. Eyewitnesses said she accused him of being responsible for Nigeria’s current hardships, telling him: “You’re the one frustrating Nigerians.”
When they reached Benin, the battle is said to have grown fierce. Mama Pee alleged she was harassed by Abure’s thugs, although security authorities moved in to prevent the violence. In videos that went viral, she accused Abure of masterminding the harassment after she confronted him openly.
The Labour Party did not see it the same, however. In a statement issued by its factional National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party had accused Mama Pee of mounting an “unprovoked attack” on Abure at the two airports. They also claimed that she threatened that she has influence in the police and will never cease attacking the LP leadership.
In a corollary, another campaigner, Peter Randy-Akah (alias ‘Peter for Nigeria’), also expressed disapproval of Mama Pee’s arrest and demanded her release, labelling her a victim of political violence. He appealed to the intervention of Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebolo, and Police Commissioner Monday Agbonika.
Efforts at the time of writing to get reactions from Edo State Police spokesperson SP Moses Yamu regarding whether she was arrested or not failed.
