Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, condemned attack on its members last Thursday at Agbede, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Operatives of the State Police Command have reportedly arrested two suspected thugs in connection with the alleged attack which was reportedly carried out in the premises of a PDP stalwart in Agbede community, Mr. Jah Usman.
Addressing journalists yesterday in Benin City, State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chris Nehikhare, said that gunmen in mask numbering about 11 had on Thursday last week stormed the residence of Mr. Usman as he and others were holding meeting in his house and rained bullets on the people, several vehicles and buildings in the process.
He said the two suspected political thugs were among the 11 suspects that carried out the attack at the residence of the PDP chieftain in which 10 persons reportedly sustined injuries.
They were said to have been arrested by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area following an alarm raised by leaders of the PDP during a campaign tour of Jattu town within council.
The suspects were said to have made confessional statements to the police about their mission.
Nehikhare who said PDP members were also attacked in Jattu and Akoko- Edo expressed the party’s displeasure over the spate of attacks targeted at members of the party at every campaign event.
He alleged that the APC members have resorted to violent attacks and other dangerous methods aimed at stopping the PDP from carrying on with its state wide campaign tours because of its rising popularity and the achievements of the Governor Godwin Obaseki led administration which he said have continued to reverberate in many parts of the state.
He frowned that some of the violent attacks have been targeted at elderly men and women, a development he said signaled danger ahead of the September 19 governorship election in the state.
He, however, restated PDP’s commitment to peaceful conduct of the governorship election.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo and the Police Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the State Police Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached as they failed to respond to calls to their mobile phones but a police source merely said “both the PDP and APC have had reasons to complain about cases of attacks and counter attacks in the past weeks so we don’t know how best to describe their issues as preparations towards the election get closer”.