Policeman reportedly feared dead and others injured as gunmen attacked the convoy of Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, and Comrade Philip Shaibu, the state’s deputy governor, at the exit gate of Benin Airport.
Senator Okpebholo and Deputy Governor Shaibu, along with other important figures, had arrived from Abuja on a chartered flight. They were greeted by a large crowd of supporters and were leaving the airport around 2 pm when gunmen in a Toyota Sienna launched a surprise attack on their convoy at the exit gate.
In response to the sudden assault, armed security personnel accompanying Senator Okpebholo and Deputy Governor Shaibu returned fire. The sounds of the gunshots echoed inside the Airport Arrival Hall and along Airport Road near the Miracle Centre of the Church of God Mission, triggering widespread panic. Businesses hastily shut down, and motorists abandoned their vehicles in an attempt to escape the crossfire.
The situation was eventually brought under control by the intervention of the Mobile Squad of the Nigeria Police. Several officers continued to fire shots to disperse the attackers, who fled in the Toyota Sienna bus.
When contacted, the spokesman for the Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, mentioned that they were in a meeting and requested time to respond to the incident.
Godswill Inegbe, the Legislative Aide to Senator Okpebholo on Media and Communication, issued a statement condemning the attack. According to Inegbe, the motorcade of Senator Okpebholo was brutally attacked by members of the Edo State Security Network and government-sponsored thugs allegedly led by a prominent member of the PDP. Inegbe claimed that during the unprovoked attack, three mobile policemen were injured, and one was declared dead. Senator Okpebholo was reportedly receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital in Benin, while other members of his entourage were being treated in various hospitals in the city.
On the other hand, the Edo State Government accused Deputy Governor Shaibu of leading thugs to attack innocent citizens. In a statement issued by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, the government expressed concern over the destruction caused by thugs allegedly working with Shaibu.
The statement accused Shaibu of leading the thugs through the Airport Road area of Benin City, attacking private citizens and causing chaos. The government warned Shaibu to stop his violent actions, reminding him that he is not above the law and will be held accountable for the destruction he caused.
The government also emphasized that Shaibu’s violent tendencies are well-documented and that he had been warned multiple times by respected figures, including the Benin Monarch.
