The Edo state government has dismissed a claim linking it with a bomb attack on a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain in the state, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

The commissioner for information, Louis Odion described Iyamu’s press statement as reckless.

Gov. Adams Oshiomhole: me, a bomber?

He added that the accusation signified “another phase in what clearly has become the desperation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to spread falsehood and sow fear in the minds of the people of Edo State with a view to simulating a crisis.”

“No sooner had the purported “bomb attack” been reported by an online medium with further claim of bomb explosion within Government House, than Mr Ize-Iyamu quickly called a press conference to point fingers at the Governor, Comrade Adams Eric Oshiomhole, as the mastermind of the explosion at the clinic owned by his wife.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that the report of bomb explosion at the Edo Government House is patently false.

“By Ize-Iyamu’s ludicrous account and his haste to accuse Comrade Oshiomhole of culpability for a supposed crime yet to be investigated, we are persuaded to believe he is merely acting out a script. It is laughable indeed that any sane man will be targeting an obscure clinic that is, at best, now moribund.

“Mr Ize-Iyamu’s wild allegation fits into PDP’s jaded style of stage-managing assaults on its agents to be used as pretext by its thugs to attack officials of Edo State Government and agents of the APC.

“Again, Mr Ize-Iyamu’s reference to cultists being engaged against PDP is ironic and laughable. Even as full-time president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Oshiomhole was known for his non-violence philosophy. On the contrary, Edo people know those with the history of cultism and violence dating back to their school days.

“Against the backdrop of this latest purported attack on his wife’s clinic, which we believe was stage-managed, we wish to alert the Police to put Pastor Ize-Iyamu and his close-travellers under close watch as allegations of this nature had always been the prelude to staging an attack on APC members in the state in the past.

“Again, we call on the PDP to look within its ranks to get to the root of the attack on a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr Rasaq Momoh. We also call on the Police to thoroughly probe top leaders of the PDP for the attack on the Edo state Legislative Quarters penultimate Saturday,” Odion stated.

Ize-Iyamu’s allegation:

In an earlier press briefing, Ize-Iyamu, alleged that materials suspected to be explosive device was detonated at one of his properties in Benin at about 10:30 pm on Saturday.

He alleged that the attack on the building which is just about 200 Metres to one of the gates of the Edo State Government House, left the ceilings of the gate house of the building shattered, with a small crater on the ground at the entrance gate.

A man who lives in the neighbourhood of the building told journalists that they heard a loud bang at about 10:30 pm on Saturday but they were uncertain of the direction of the sound.

But while addressing journalists, at the scene of the incident in company of the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, Ize-Iyamu, the former South South vice-chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), who defected to the PDP in May, accused the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, of causing the attack, alleging that the governor had consistently threatened him ever since he dumped the APC for the PDP.

“I received a call from one of the occupants of the house at about 10:45 yesterday (Saturday) that an explosive had been detonated at the compound. I quickly rushed there and I actually found out that a bomb was detonated.

“The security agencies saw the wires and batteries used across the road as well as the footprints of the people. The target obviously was my wife’s clinic but the bomb detonated at the gate house. To God be the glory, the security had strolled to patrol the compound when they bombed the gate house.

“I want to say that I am not too surprised at what happened, though the dimension is shocking. I categorically say that I hold the governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, responsible for what has happened.

“In the past few days, he has threatened my person in the public. Since I left the APC, it has become Oshiomhole pasttime to mention my name at every opportunity. Indeed, I think it has become an obsession for him to mention my name”, he alleged.

Also commenting on the alleged attack on the building, Chief Dan Orbih, said he was not surprised of the attack, adding that he had alerted security agencies about plans by the Edo State government and the APC to attack some leaders of the PDP and their properties.

The Edo State police command, in a statement signed by its PRO in Benin on yesterday, confirmed the attack, saying items suspected to be Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were thrown at the mini-estate.

“The explosion only affected the surrounding ceiling boards at the estate security post and part of the main gate. The impact dug a small hole at the entrance gate but luckily, no life was lost,” the statement said.

The statement added that the IEDs used in the attack have been recovered by the bomb disposal unit for analysis while some suspects have been arrested.