The last has yet to be heard about the Thursday shooting in Benin City, the Edo State capital, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has pointedly accused the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Funsho Adegboye, of complicity in the attack on the convoy of the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the reinstated Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
The party has therefore called for the immediate dismissal of the Edo police boss, whom the APC said was physically present when the shootings, which led to the death of Inspector Onuh Ako, one of the policemen in the convoy of the party’s governorship flag bearer, occurred.
Addressing yet another press conference on Friday, Kasim Afegbua, Director of Media for the APC Governorship Campaign Council, stated that the party had petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over the matter and urged the IGP to thoroughly investigate how the Edo Commissioner of Police allegedly undermined the role of the police.
According to Afegbua, some APC members who were present at the Benin Airport to receive Shaibu, who flew into Benin with Senator Okpebholo, and who saw the Commissioner of Police at the airport, shared intelligence about what was about to happen. Unfortunately, he alleged, the police boss ignored this information.
“It is disheartening to observe that while the ruthless shootings were ongoing, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Funsho Adegboye, was on the ground at the Benin Airport and did nothing to repel the vicious attack, which led to the death of one of his officers.
“As fate would have it, it was our candidate’s police attaché who was killed; our candidate and the Deputy Governor narrowly escaped death. Eyewitness accounts indicate that some of these hoodlums are members of the Edo Vigilante Network, who were clearly identifiable in their uniforms.
“It is indeed striking to observe that under the watchful eyes of the Edo State Commissioner of Police, one of his serving officers was killed without any concern from him, which suggests a grand design in connivance with the State Governor and the PDP Candidate, Barrister Asue Ighodalo.
“The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, has willfully undermined his legal responsibility to protect lives and property within his jurisdiction and has become a puppet of the Governor, from whom he receives politically motivated instructions.
“As of today, Edo State is in a state of unmanageable lawlessness due to the uncontrolled source of weapons being paraded by members of the Edo State Vigilante Network, who are recruited without any formal training,” Afegbua lamented.
The APC Campaign Council Director of Media described the attack on the candidate as an assassination attempt and a disdain for the peace that the state and its people were known for.
The Commissioner of Police, Adegboye, has, however, responded to the accusation of complicity, exonerating himself from any wrongdoing during the violence.
Adegboye, at a press conference in his office, refuted the claim that intelligence was shared with him ahead of the attack, stating that there was no crisis during his stay at the airport.
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“I had information that some people had gathered at the airport, supporters, and I went there because our goal is to maintain law and order. When we discover a crowd, we go there.
So, my men and I were there, and it was only after these people left the airport that we learned about the shooting, which led to the death of the inspector.
“Nobody provided me with any intelligence about what was about to happen. There was no incident at the airport premises,” the police boss reiterated.
He added that the Command had obtained some names of suspects and assured that a thorough investigation was ongoing. Those whose names had been mentioned in the incident would be arrested soon.
and then