As senior members of the opposition Wadani party are detained by police in Hargeisa
By: Osman A.M.
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) The National Party has sent a strong warning to the National Police Service with regard to the manner in which they are discharging their professional duties selectively.
This comes in response to the latest actions carried by the law enforcers who were seen to be targeting politicians perceived to be anti- Government.
The leader of the party who also doubles up as the Speaker of the National Assembly Mr. Abdirahman Abdillahi Irro warned the police force against executive misuse.
Irro was reacting to the arrest of Members of the National Executive Council (NEC) from the National Party whom police nabbed while walking along the main road adjacent to the presidential palace in Hargeisa.
Preliminary reports indicates that Milgo Mohamed Ilmi (Milgo Sanbaloshe) National Party’s fourth Vice Chairperson accompanied by two other officials from its governing council were arrested by cops manning the presidential palace before being escorted to Central police station where they were detained after their particulars were recorded in the Occurrence Book (OB).
The other party officials arrested with the fourth national Vice-Chairperson were Hinda Hassan Idriss and Daud Fod-Adde both being in the party’s governing council.
Eye witnesses informed that police officers trailing the opposition leaders ordered officers manning the presidency to arrest the three.
In a carefully worded criticisms posted in his Facebook page Speaker Irro wondered how the police could take sides politically.
“The police force is supposed to be nonpartisan civil service that serves everyone equally irrespective of their political ideology otherwise the force would lose public confidence” posted the National Party leader.
Irro warned the police especially the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) that is mandated with combating terror related crimes to be vigilant of executive misuse before public confidence bestowed to the force fades.
He reminded the discipline force to discharge their professional duties diligently as no one knew which political party would form the Government by mid next year.
Though no official statement explaining the arrest was issued by the Government, reports from reliable sources reveal that the three were detained because they were involved in preparing Thursday’s party rally where politicians from the ruling regime are expected to defect en masses.
The opposition party has recently suffered a big blow when its secretary in-charge of livestock affairs was also incarcerated in Hargeisa.
