Benin, Edo, Nigeria – By Oladipo Airenakho.
Residents of Benin City, the Edo State capital last Saturday again woke up to the second phase of violence as another set of armed youths went on a rampage inside the legislators’ quarters, unleashing mayhem of an unimaginable proportion.
Edo State Legislators’ quarters, located on Ihama Road in the Government Reservation Area of Benin City houses the official residences of members of the State House of Assembly.
It was the same quarters, where last Tuesday a member of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Momoh Abdulrazak was brutally attacked with narrow escape from death.
Saturday’s incident which eyewitness accounts said left many lawmakers, their family members and hirelings running for their dear lives in the early hour of about 7am however did not result to loss of lives.
According to reports reaching Alltimepost.com, for the duration the unruly youths were inside the lawmakers’ official quarters, residents who made their ways outside said they could hear continued sporadic gun fires coming from inside the quarters.
It was also alleged that the Police had a prior knowledge about the early morning attack, but delayed response, leading to suspicion that they provided cover for the hoodlums.
Alltimepost.com gathered that the distress calls made to the commissioner of police phones by the Edo Assembly Majority leader, Honorable Philip Shaibu and others were ignored at the time of needs.
The youths who were said to number about a hundred and fifty however seemed to have been unable to complete their mission of destroying everything in the quarters due to later intervention of the men of the State Police Command who called for re-enforcement on arrival at the scene.
Alltimepost.com counted at least 28 luxurious vehicles of various brands in different conditions of damages while windows and doors of several of the buildings were destroyed.
Vehicles belonging to visitors of some of the lawmakers were also not spared in the attack.
It took the Police, with whom the lawmakers were not happy quite some hours to bring the situation under control, with law abiding commuters and motorists forced to make detours to get to their respective destinations.
When Alltimepost.com arrived the scene, there was a pervading sense of fear and tension in the air as those who had earlier jumped across the legislators’ quarters barbed-wire fences for their dear lives could be seen coming back.
When the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, arrived the scene shortly after Police had secured the place, he attributed the attack and the resulting damage/destruction of properties to the handiwork of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the newly rejuvenated and leading opposition party in the State.
Governor Oshiomhole accused PDP leadership in the state of fomenting political crisis with a view to making the state ungovernable, adding that in doing so they were working against Federal Government concerted efforts in fighting insurgency in Nigeria.
Hear the Governor further: “I think for all Nigerians, at a time when we are confronted by insurgency and other forms of violent crime, one will expect that any functionary of the other party will share the concern of the President on peace and security.
You can see some of the PDP Leaders in Edo State having lost out and rejected by the people believe that they can create a situation that will make Edo State ungovernable and create complete distraction in their futile calculation that they can remove themselves from power.”
The State Chief Executive Officer lashed out at the Edo State Police Command, accusing them of granting permission for the attack, saying, “ It is very clear that Police granted permission for this attack. The commissioner of Police was informed at about 10:pm last night (Friday) of the plan of the PDP to attack the legislative quarters and APC office.”
“We made this intelligence available to the Commissioner of Police and you can see that even the minimal police presence here was evacuated so that these thugs can come and have a free reign of terror.
This morning, when they assembled at a point they were meant to assemble, the fact was conveyed to the Commissioner of Police,” he said.
According to the Governor: “I am not so much worried about the violent character of the PDP; I am more worried by what seems to be the police readiness to provide them with cover”
Residences of lawmakers affected are those of the Edo Assembly majority whip, Honourable Folly Ogedengbe, Honourable Philip Shaibu the majority leader, Honourable (Mrs.) Elizabeth Ativie, Honourable Aisoweren Patrick and Honorable Oloruntoba Bamidele.
Meanwhile Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo in his reaction has said he would not want to join issue with anyone over allegations of late response to distress calls making the rounds in the aftermath of the most recent violence at the Edo Assembly lawmakers’ residences.
The Commissioner made this known at the Command Headquarters, Benin City yesterday, while also revealing that 12 suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Mr. Adebanjo gave this short response when he was prompted by a question from Journalists to explain why it took the police so long to respond to the distress calls made to his phones by the Edo Assembly Majority leader, Honorable Philip Shaibu and others.
‘’I don’t think there is any need for me to join issue with anyone over such comments by some people’’, he replied.
The same complaint, it is to be recalled was also made against the police in the incident, involving the still critically wounded Edo Assembly lawmaker, Honorable Momoh Abdulrazak.
It was alleged that calls made to his phones were not picked until later on when much damage had been done.
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