The Benin monarch, Omo ‘N’ Oba ‘N’ Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Erediuwa, the Oba of Benin has expressed shock at the recent events unfolding in the political scene in Edo State.
The Benin monarch expressed his feeling yesterday when he granted audience to Governor Adams Oshiomhole at his palace in Benin City.
According to the Oba, “when I heard the news of the death of your private secretary, Mr. Olaitan Oyerinde on Independent Television, I was shocked. We leave everything in the hands of God. We will keep on praying”.
He appealed to the political actors to play the game according to the rules.
Earlier, Comrade Oshiomhole had narrated the ugly incident where three journalists died in his convoy crash.
According to the governor, “we have sent a petition to the Commissioner of Police in which we informed him of the meeting held at the residence of the godfather where they took a critical evaluation of the forth coming election”.
“They agreed that it was impossible to win. They then resolved to take series of actions to intimidate my person and if possible eliminate me. At that meeting, they said they will kill under the guise of armed robbery. They will kidnap and few weeks to the elections they will detonate bombs in parts of the state to scare voters “he said
The Governor told the Oba that he invited the commissioner of police and impressed on him the need for a thorough investigation into the convoy crash in which he escaped elimination.
“I travelled to Abuja to complain to the Inspector General of Police and the President who agreed to convene a national security meeting”, he added.
Restating his determination, to proceed with his re-election campaign flag off scheduled for Friday, Oshiomhole said, “last week, we postponed our re-election campaign flag off because of those who died in the convoy crash. We have decided not to postpone this one because we do not know what their plans may be next time”.
Earlier Governor Oshiomhole, issued a 14 day ultimatum to the Nigerian Police Force to conclude investigation and bring to justice the killers of his Principal Private Secretary, Olaitan Oyerinde,
The governor who gave the directive to a group of protesters who demonstrated in sympathy with the state government over the untimely death of Oyerinde, advised them to resist all temptations of resorting to violence.
“We have written a petition to the state Commissioner of Police in which we informed him of the meeting held at the residence of the godfather where they took a typical evaluation of the forthcoming election. They agreed it is impossible for them to win, but they also resolved at that meeting presided over by the godfather, that they will take series of actions to intimidate my person and if possible to eliminate,” he disclosed.
According to him, “at that meeting they said they will kill under the guise of armed robbery, they will kidnap some people, many of my personal staff and some of our key leaders to pretend as if they are victims of kidnapping.”
The governor said he also informed the Police that at the meeting they resolved that weeks before the election they will detonate bombs in parts of the state in other to scare people away from going to vote.
“What is our crime. Our crime is that we have mobilized our people, we have deployed public resources for public good and the godfather is angry. We have no apology for the stand we have taken and we will not slow down. The blood of these young men will fire me on to fight and defeat the godfather as there is no going back. They have killed my son, they have killed my brother, they have killed my people, but they cannot kill my spirit,” he noted.
Comrade Oshiomhole declared that if the Police do not find the killers, if they do not do proper investigation on the killing of those Journalists and Olaitan, as governor of Edo State, he will provide the leadership to the people to find solution.
“They must not fight like cowards, they should come and let us engage face to face. Like cowards they shot Olaitan on the head, they shot him on the chest, they shot him on the belly, to make sure he never survives. Why will a man in his 80s preside over the death of young children, why will an old man who has children, great grand children, supervise the killing of young people, why will Arhiawere who wishes to lead Edo state is not only talking tribalism, they are planning violence and planning killing”.
“I want to serve them notice. We have the capacity, we have the men, we have the people and if they do not behave we can stop them from coming to Edo state. I have no cause to cry today, rather than cry, the blood of those young men will whet my appetite for justice. That is why today, because their plan is to make us postpone again for the second time our campaign. We will go ahead because Olaitan in his lifetime was a fighter. I ask you not to be afraid, don’t be intimidated, don’t give up, if anything we should be more resolved. The godfather is finished and no one can rescue him and any old man that kills will have death awaiting his own children, brother and himself and when he dies he will be in perpetual fire ”, he added.
The governor regretted that it hurts that in the name of politics, this people are bringing violence to the state, they are killing, maiming and they are planning more.
“You will recall that in 2007 we lost three young men. You will recall that at the house of Assembly they planted a bomb which was meant to kill our members in the Action Congress of Nigeria in the House of Assembly. Thank God the bomb did not detonate. You will also recall that they used matchet cuts and tear gas to attempt to kill our members in the House of Assembly and in all of these the Police have not done Justice, those who tried to kill those honourable members, nothing has happened to them,” the governor noted.
