The governorship hopeful of the African Democratic Congress in Edo State, Olumide Akpata, has revealed that he and former presidential candidate Peter Obi separately received intelligence reports on Tuesday warning that the venue of their political event in Benin City, would soon come under attack.
Speaking on Wednesday on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Akpata said, “I was in harm’s way, there’s no doubt. I was alongside other persons. We were in harm’s way yesterday in Benin.”
He added, “Thankfully, due to the efforts of some of the security personnel who were there, I think what could have been a very dastardly event was averted yesterday.”
Akpata explained that members of the Labour Party in Edo State had gathered to formally move into ADC at the party Secretariat on Ogbelaka Street in Benin City for a ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m.
He said, “The event was slated for 11 o’clock yesterday morning at the ADC Secretariat on Ogbelaka Street in Benin City.
“Chief Oyegun was present. Professor Sereme Osunbor, former governor of Edo State, was present. Mr. Peter Obi was there. Senator Roland Owie… Quite a number of people were there, and the event went on.”
According to him, as the programme progressed, intelligence from reliable sources suggested the venue could soon be attacked.
“We got information as the event proceeded from sources that are usually reliable that that venue would very soon come under attack from some unknown persons.
“I received that information separately. Mr. Obi received that information… and we were advised to speed up the event… to avert what those persons thought would be a crisis situation,” he said.
He described the venue as “a very tight building, narrow building, and even a stampede would be dangerous,” adding that the street “is densely populated.”
Akpata said the event was hurriedly concluded and leaders were ushered out.
“We told them that, listen, because of this development, come to Chief Oyegun’s house. We would address the press there.
“This was a decision taken on the fly because… things had changed. We didn’t have time to do any press. Anything could have happened,” he said.
Shortly after they left, he said, armed men allegedly attacked the secretariat.
“We started getting calls that as soon as we left the secretariat on Ogbelaka Street, some guys actually showed up and attacked the venue, attacked people,” he said.
He disclosed that his cousin narrowly escaped being hit by a bullet.
“My own cousin driving one of my cars was narrowly missed being hit by a bullet. The bullet actually hit the floor near him and ricocheted… He’s not seriously injured, but he’s in some pain,” he said.
He added that another relative “had a bottle smashed on her head,” while the disc jockey at the event “was beaten up, his equipment destroyed, his laptop taken.”
“Anybody with the ADC cap, quite a number of them were attacked,” he said.
Akpata further recounted that gunshots were later fired near Chief John Odigie-Oyegun’s residence in the Government Reservation Area, where he and Obi had relocated.
He said, “So we’re standing in front of Mr. Oyegun’s front door… about to take pictures, we heard gunshots. Serious gunshots.
“The security personnel who were with us now forced us, actually pushed us back into Chief Oyegun’s sitting room… because the gunshots were so close that there was the real risk that any bullet could hit any of us where we were standing.”
He described it as “like a drive-by.”
“The guys drove past the first time shooting in the air, drove past the second time shooting in the air, and then they left,” he said.
When security operatives later deemed it safe to step outside, he said, “we saw the spent cartridges. We saw that cars that were parked outside had their windshields shattered, windows shattered.”
Akpata confirmed that no lives were lost.
“No one died. Some people were injured,” he said, adding that “the major assault was at Chief Oyegun’s residence, in the front,” in terms of the volume of gunfire.
After the incident, he said Obi proceeded to the airport for a scheduled flight.
“We dropped him off at the airport and he left,” Akpata said.
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