Governor Obaseki and Philip Shaibu.

*Allegation nonsense – Obaseki aide

By Jethro Ibileke

Reinstated Edo State deputy governor, Philip Shaibu has alleged that the attack on his convoy at the Benin Airport gate on Thursday was an assassination attempt orchestrated by Governor Godwin Obaseki.

This is even as he disclosed that he has instituted a N5 billion defamation suit against the state government, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Project, Crusoe Osagie.

Shaibu made the allegation Friday evening while reacting to the state government’s claim that he master-minded the attack in which Inspector Akor Onu’s lost his life.

Shaibu who said the attack came to him as a surprise, disclosed that for over a year, he had avoided calling for a protest to avoid confrontation with the state government and its agents.

Commenting on the court judgement that reinstated him, Shaibu said that he was not surprised that Nehikhare and Osagie were insisting that he remained impeached accusing them of not studying the court judgement before sending out their responses, which he said, is their mode of operation.

He noted that the judgement was declarative and has to be executed first before an appeal over the matter could be heard, adding that the stay of judgement execution filed by the state cannot see the light of the day until the judgement is executed.

According to him, “I can tell you that Thursday attack was planned by the state governor to assassinate me. The governor vowed to destroy me when I remained resolute to vie for the position of the governor.

“They said I was the one who planned the attack but I came in peacefully from Abuja to the state capital. Why were the armed thugs laying ambush for me? Were they expecting a visitor?

“I have already instituted a N5 billion suit against the governor, Nehikhare and Osagie for defamation. They will be served next week.

“I have resumed, recalled all my staffs and I will be working from home in order to prevent any confrontation. I remain the deputy governor. All salary and entitlement will be paid,” he added.

Reacting to the allegations, the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said the Governor Godwin Obaseki did not plan attack on anyone.

Nehikhare who described the allegation as nonsense, added that the thugs who fired the shot that killed the police inspector were supporters and thugs mobilised by Shaibu to the Airport to welcome.

He said, “The accusation is nonsense. How can Shaibu say that the Governor planned the attack against him. It is his thugs who he mobilized that were shooting sporadically that killed the policeman.

“Having realized the enormity of what has happened, he is now running around to clear his name. But we all know that his thugs were the ones who carried out the attack.

“He was the one who ignored the plea by the CP to ramain calm due to the appeal and stay of judgement execution which the government got.

“We have videos of his thugs causing mayhem in the city on Thursday and he should be made to answer for his deeds.”

*Edo APC chair, Jarrett Tenebe visit Shaibu, says DG’s office to dorn APC flag henceforth

The chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Mr. Jarrett Tenebe on Friday paid a solidarity visit to the reinstated deputy governor of Edo State, Phillip Shaibu to commiserate with him over Thursday’s violent attack on his convoy.

Tenebe who discribed the attack as a calculated attempt to take Shaibu’s life, thanked God for spearing his life.

Recall that a police orderly of APC candidate in the September governorship election, Senator Monday Okpebholo was killed in the shootings, allegedly by political thugs.

The APC chairman disclosed this when he paid a visit to Shaibu at his private residence in Benin City, adding, “what your party tried to do to you was actually planned to take your life.”

“The PDP are known for that. Our party don’t take life, we give life. As it stands today, you are the deputy governor of Edo State.

“I have brought a message of APC and after now, our flag will be hanging in your affice,” Tenebe added.

Responding, Shaibu thanked the APC chairman and his entourage for uplifting his spirit since his ordeal began with the PDP.

According to him, “The level of care is what we need now for leadership. The State chairman of PDP never put a call to me or tried to resolve the party crisis.

“By God’s grace, Senator Monday Okpebholo and Dennis Idahosa [APC candidates] will be Governor and Deputy,” he said.

*Benin Airport attack: APC demands sack of Edo Police Commissioner

The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called for the sack of the State Commissioner of Police, CP Funsho Adegboye, over the attack on its candidate by suspected gunmen at the Benin Airport exit gate in the state.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Benin, t
The Media Consultant to the APC Campaign Council, Prince Kassim Afegbua, while addressing journalists in Benin, said the call became necessary because the CP was complicit in the attack on its candidate, Sen. Okpeebholo and the reinstated deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu.

He alleged that those who carried out the attack were acting on the instructions of Governor Godwin Obaseki, even as the CP provided cover for the attackers.

According to him, “While the shootings were going on the State Commissioner of Police was on the ground at the Benin Airport, he left through the entry gate instead of exit gate where the attack took place. He did nothing to repel the vicious attack which led to the death of one of his officers.

“From a witness account, it is very clear that some of these hoodlums are members of the Edo Vigilante Network who were fully knitted in their uniforms.”

Afegbua further alleged that the Commissioner of Police and the State Command willfully undermined the responsibility placed on him by the law for the protection of lives and property within his jurisdiction as he has become the puppet of the Governor from whom he takes politically minded instructions.

He said the party is calling for the police commissioner to be sacked because even if he is redeployed, he would still endanger the life of the citizen.

“As of today, Edo State is in a State of unassumable lawlessness oCcasioned by the non-control of the source of weapons being paraded by members of Edo State Vigilante Network who are recruited without any formal training”

Responding, CP Adegboye who exonerated himself of any wrongdoing during the mayhem,  refuted claims that intelligence was shared with him ahead of the attack.

He said there was no crisis throughout his stay at the airport.

“I had information that some people gathered at the airport, supporters and I went in there because our goal is to maintain law and order. Where we discover we have a crowd, we will go there. So we were there, myself and my men and it was after these people left the airport that we learnt about the shooting which led to the death of the inspector.

“Nobody gave me any intelligence of what was about to happen. There was no single incidence at the premises of the airport,” he said

According to him, the investigation was ongoing and those whose names had been mentioned in the incident would be arrested soon.