TELL Magazine

… Fingers top official of Govt as mastermind

With commencement of campaigns for the September 21, 2024 Edo State governorship election barely a few days away, strong indications emerged on Saturday that the battle for the soul of the Heartbeat of the Nation would be fierce and bloody as the state police command and the management of the University of Benin, (UNBEN) investigate violent attacks on the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, and some senior staff of UNIBEN. According to the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, September 26, 2023, campaigns officially start April 24, 2024.

Supporters of the former national president of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, believe it was an assassination attempt on him, while Akpata fingered “a senior official of the Edo State government” as the sponsor of Friday’s attack by students of the University of Benin. He however warned the unnamed “official” that “Labour Party will not be intimidated by you, by your paymasters, or by your minions”, stressing that “If it is your intention to cause mayhem, and to cause havoc in Edo State, we will resist you. You will not be allowed to reduce our state to nothingness”.

Recall that the LP candidate had been invited for an interactive session by the senior staff of UNIBEN at their staff club, but the event was violently brought to an abrupt end when members of the Students Union Government, SUG, led by their president, King Lemuel, stormed the venue, causing pandemonium. The invaders, who frowned at using “students as a means of campaign at the staff club”, said the SUG and the institution’s security ought to have been informed that such an engagement with the LP candidate was taking place.

Meanwhile, a statement signed by the University Public Relations Officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire on behalf of the management of the University, condemned the reported violence. She said the management had set up a committee headed by Professor Frederick Ekhaise, to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the violent action and to submit a report in one week.

Condemning in strong terms the reported violence allegedly perpetrated by some students, she described it as “unacceptable”.

Narrating his ordeal in a 5.04 minute video in the wee hours of Saturday, Akpata, who appeared unruffled, debunked allegations in a viral video that his security personnel shot a student of the University, describing it as “a fabrication” which was “obviously deployed to bring about misinformation”. According to him, “Indeed, I was the one who was attacked; the club was attacked, professors of the University of Benin were threatened. One lecturer of the University of Benin is in hospital as we speak”. He noted that the People’s Democratic Party, PDP candidate had a few weeks ago, been hosted at the same venue by the UNIBEN senior staff.

He said at the appropriate time, a detailed report of the incident and those involved, would be made known to the police for appropriate action.

The SUG, in a statement signed by Lemuel, the president, and the secretary, Eriamiatoe Miracle, explained why they stormed the venue of the event, which was to ascertain if students were present there. He accused the lecturers of insulting members of the SUG, and Akpata’s security aides of beating up the director of sports.

They said, “tensions escalated when the Staff Club’s President suddenly claimed autonomy from the University and out rightly stated “that the staff club has no affiliation with the University of Benin “thereby exacerbating the situation”.

They said “While the saga continued, the Labour Party governorship candidate stormed out and drove out of the venue. We further heard gunshots sound at the school gate and on getting there, it was made known to the SUG that the convoy forced themselves into the school premises to do whatever they like within the school premises.”

The SUG stated that the DPO of Ugbowo Police Station had been briefed on the matter “to ensure the students have a calm environment”.