The Edo State government has accused the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, of masterminding the attack on Governor Godwin Obaseki, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, and other notable guests at Oshiomhole’s country home in Iyamho, Etsako West local government area.
In a statement issued in Benin, the state capital yesterday by the secretary to the state government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, he asserted that the attack was premeditated and executed with the active connivance and directive of Oshiomhole.
Consequently, the state government demanded that an unreserved and unconditional apology be tendered to all the persons who were victims of “this sacrilegious, treasonable and extremely embarrassing event.”
While narrating the ordeal of the governor and his guests at Oshiomhole’s residence, Ogie said: “On Saturday, November 2, 2019, the governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, as visitor of the university, attended the 1st convocation ceremony of the Edo University, Iyamho. The governor was accompanied on the trip by the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, Dr. Aderemi Makanjuola, the newly-installed chancellor of the university and his wife, businessman and philanthropist, Oba Otudeko, among other dignitaries.
“Upon the conclusion of the ceremony at the university venue, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, personally invited the governor and his guests to his country home at Iyamho for lunch.
“Comrade Adams Oshiomhole went ahead of his invited guests to his residence and obviously was aware of the build-up of thugs within his compound in advance of the arrival of the governor and the Very Important Persons (VIPs).
“The governor and his guests, who included the Oba of Lagos and the deputy governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaiubu, then proceeded to the residence of the national chairman to honour his invitation, only to be attacked upon arrival by the prepositioned thugs at the entrance to the residence of the national chairman.
“The entourage suffered damage to vehicles on the convoy and had to return to the university premises from where they boarded the helicopter for the trip to Benin,” the SSG said.
Ogie maintained that “it is clear from the sequence of events that the attack on the governor, the Oba of Lagos and other VIPs was premeditated and could not have occurred without the active connivance or directive of the APC national chairman.
“In the circumstances, the government of Edo State believes that the only option open to a host who has superintended such misdemeanour is to tender an unreserved and unconditional apology to all persons who were victims of this sacrilegious, treasonable and extremely embarrassing event,” Odie said.
Noting that such disgraceful acts was alien to Edo people, the state government said that “in the light of the seeming inability of the actual culprit to generate the required spirit to offer the necessary apologies, the government and people of Edo State apologise most sincerely to all our honoured guests, who were victims of this show of shame, the facts of which have earlier been recounted.
“We must state that it is certainly not in our character as Edo people to inflict such barbaric treatment on our guests. This is even more so in the light of the historic linkages between the royal stool of Lagos and Edo people,” Ogie said.
The SSG promised that those involved in the attack would be brought to justice, adding that “the government of Edo State assures all concerned and members of the general public that we shall deploy all the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the crime and their sponsors, no matter how highly placed they may be.”
