Benin City – The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for a thorough investigation into an attack on its governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the reinstated deputy governor of the state, Philip Shaibu. The attack occurred on Thursday as they were exiting Benin Airport.
Gunmen opened fire on Okpebholo and Shaibu, causing chaos at the airport axis and forcing residents to flee in fear. The incident, which has been described as an assassination attempt, resulted in the death of Police Inspector Onu Ako, one of Okpebholo’s security details.
In a statement on Friday, Orobosa Omo-Ojo, Director of Publicity for the APC Governorship Campaign Council, condemned the attack and called it a deliberate attempt to assassinate Okpebholo.
“Yesterday, July 18, 2024, our candidate for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, escaped an assassination attempt when he arrived at the Benin Airport to continue his campaigns. Sadly, the assassins succeeded in gruesomely taking the life of Police Inspector Onu Ako, one of his security details,” Omo-Ojo stated.
He emphasized that Okpebholo’s peaceful procession from the airport to the APC Secretariat was disrupted by the ambush. Omo-Ojo accused the attackers of being hired criminals identified by security agents as representatives of the opposition party.
“This unprovoked horrific act of political violence against a peaceful Nigerian senator should have no place in Edo State. It should be unanimously and forcefully condemned by the federal government of Nigeria and the good people of Edo State,” he added.
Omo-Ojo expressed regret over the killing of Inspector Ako and the injuries sustained by hundreds of APC members during the attack. He praised Senator Okpebholo’s resilience and criticized the security lapse that left him exposed to gunfire.
The APC has called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the State Security Service to investigate the assassination attempt and bring the culprits to justice. The party also urged the federal government to address the issue of state-sponsored criminals who are making the political landscape unsafe.
“The vantage point the assassins who were in a marked Sienna Bus opposite the exit gate managed to acquire, is the greatest security breach and failure, especially as the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, and other top officers were at the airport to ensure peace,” Omo-Ojo stated.
The statement concluded with a declaration that no amount of violence would deter the APC from providing leadership and working towards a peaceful and prosperous Edo State.
