Assassination claim: Odubu campaign organisation lied, says Edo govt

Alexander Okere, Benin

The Edo State Government has dismissed as false the claim by the campaign organisation of Odubu that an attempt was made by thugs to assassinate him at Auchi, in the Estako West Local Government Area of the state.

The state government, in a statement by the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua, and made available to The PUNCH on Sunday, said the claim was not only untrue but appeared hasty.

It explained that while the incident was condemnable, the clash was caused by thugs allegedly loyal to the deputy governor, as preliminary reports suggested that security details attached to him, allegedly fired the first shots to scare away party supporters, who kicked against the presence of the thugs in their area.

The statement read, “It is instructive to note that the deputy governor was inside the secretariat building of the APC in company with the party chairman in the local government, Alhaji Umoru Akokhia, addressing the delegates while thugs, loyal to him, who had become unruly, fired gunshots at other APC loyalists, who were outside protesting against his visit.

“It should be noted that among those who sustained injuries are APC loyalists, who are presently receiving medical attention in the hospital.

“It is laughable that the Odubu Campaign Organisation will allege that the deputy governor, with a full compliments of security details, was shot at, yet no casualty was recorded on the other side and nobody apprehended.”

It added, “Given the above scenario, we find it lousy for anyone to impute assassination theory as propounded by the Odubu Campaign Organisation especially when investigations are still ongoing and the police are yet to submit their findings on the fracas.”

Meanwhile, the APC chairman in the Estako West LGA of Edo State, Akokhia, has however, debunked the reports that Saturday’s attack in the area was targeted at Odubu.

Akokhia, who stated this in an interview with journalists at the Government House, Benin, the Edo State capital, however, noted that the alleged assassination attempt might have been carried out by “thugs that he (Odubu) brought”.

He explained that the warm reception accorded Odubu by the party was interrupted by shouts of ‘Odubu, you don win; Odubu, na you we know’, which came from a crowd outside the venue of the meeting.

He added, “Before the deputy governor came, there were boys around. I asked them what they came for. They said they came to see the deputy governor and I told them they were not invited and that they were not delegates. They said they were Odubu supporters.

“Anybody that said the attack was directed at the deputy is a liar. We were together inside my office. He was inside my office during the shooting.”