A police officer identified as Okon, attached to the All Progressives Congress candidate in the September 21 governorship election, Monday Okpebholo, was killed after mobs attacked the convoy of his principal and that of reinstated deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, in Benin on Thursday after leaving the Benin Airport.
Shaibu, who was impeached by the State House of Assembly on April 8, but was reinstated on Wednesday after Justice J.K. Omotosho of the Abuja High Court ruled that he was unjustly impeached.
Shaibu and Okpebholo arrived at the Benin Airport around 2 pm to the rousing welcome of supporters.
Airport staff told The PUNCH that the way police officers acted around Shaibu was a sign that something bad would happen.
He said, “When the plane landed, the way the police officers acted around Shaibu showed that something terrible was going to happen.
“I saw the policeman that was killed. He was outside the VIP lounge waiting for Shaibu’s arrival. I didn’t know that he would lose his life.
”When the convoy left the airport, armed gunmen shot at the motorcade, which led to the death of the policeman.”
An eyewitness who identified himself as John said that apart from the policeman, others were also injured in the attack.
He said, “The incident occurred just after 2 p.m. when Okpebholo and several others, including the Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, arrived aboard a chartered private jet.
“Unknown, suspected gunmen in Sienna vehicle at the exit gate opened fire at the convoy of leading Okpebholo and Shaibu, which led to a reprisal gunshot by armed security details attached to the APC candidate and deputy governor Phillip Shaibu.
”The intervention of the Mobile Squad of the Nigeria Police brought the situation under control. Meanwhile, several officers continued shooting to disperse the said attackers as they fled in a Toyota Sienna bus.”
However, a statement signed by the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, blamed Shaibu for the incident.
The statement reads, “The Edo State Government has observed the level of wanton destruction perpetrated by thugs and elements working in connivance with former Deputy Governor of the State, Philip Shaibu, in the guise of purportedly enforcing a judgment reinstating him in office.
“Shaibu led thugs through the Airport Road axis of Benin City, attacking innocent citizens and unleashing mayhem on private citizens who are going about their lawful businesses.
“The State Government, through this statement, is warning Shaibu to desist from this turn to violence in the pretence that he is enforcing a judgment. He is reminded that he is not above the law and is liable for the wanton destruction perpetrated by him and his co-travelers.
“Shaibu’s violent tendencies are well documented, and he has been warned at different times by respected figures of society, including the revered Benin Monarch, to shun violence.
“We want to reiterate that Shaibu will face the consequences of violence that he has resorted to in pursuit of his aim to return to the Edo State Government House even when he is aware that a stay of execution of the judgment has been filed.
“We enjoin the general public to be calm and go about their lawful businesses as government will continue to deploy the instrumentality of the state to restore and maintain law and order in the State in the face of undue provocation,” the statement noted
However, Okpebholo’s aide, Godswill Inegbe, said a prominent former member of the APC, who recently resigned from the party, led the attack against his principal and Shaibu.
He said, “This (Thursday) afternoon, the motorcade of Senator Monday Okpebholo, the APC governorship candidate, was brutally attacked by members of Edo State Security Network and Edo State government-sponsored thugs allegedly led by a former prominent member of the APC.
“During the unprovoked brutal attack, three mobile policemen attached to the security detail of Senator Okpebholo were injured with bullet wounds, while one of the policemen has been declared dead!
“Senator Monday Okpebholo is at this moment admitted in an undisclosed hospital in Benin receiving medical attention, and other members of his entourage who were victims of the brutal attack are in various hospitals in Benin City.”
A close associate of Shaibu, Sunny Okomayin, said the police lost his life when the convoy of Shaibu and Okpebholo was attacked by state-sponsored thugs.
He said Shaibu’s supporters were at the airport to well the reinstated deputy governor peacefully, only for gunmen to open fire on the convoy as soon as it exited the airport.
“Shaibu cannot be blamed for the fracas. His supporters came to the airport to receive after Wednesday judgement. He was attacked alongside Okpebholo as soon as he exited the airport. The narrative being pushed by the government is false,” he added.
When contacted, Chidi Nwabuzor, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, said the police were investigating the matter.
