A disturbing video has gone viral, showing an activist, Comrade Okhai Okhani, being violently assaulted by suspected armed vigilantes in Auchi, Etsako West local government area of Edo State.
The activist, currently in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital, has called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Army, Directorate of State Services (DSS), and the Edo State government, to investigate the incident, arrest the perpetrators, and ensure justice was served.
Narrating his ordeal to journalists via telephone, Okhani, who’s the Coordinator of Edo North Unity Worldwide, recounted how over 50 uniformed armed vigilantes and thugs stormed the venue of a stakeholder summit he organised for political office holders in Edo North, to attack him.
The event, according to him, was an annual forum to assess and honour public office holders who have positively impacted their constituents in delivering dividends of democracy.
He stated that he had sent out official invitations to notable political figures, including Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Hon. Peter Akpatason, Hon. Anamero Sunday, Hon. Hussein Mustapher, and several others. The venue for the event, he added, was approved by the Acting Chairman of Etsako West Local Government Council, Hon. Valentine Okuilagwe.
Okhani said all was set for the takeoff of the event when the venue was attacked and properties vandalized, guests were brutalised, valuables were destroyed by the attackers.
Alleging that the attack was orchestrated by political actors in Edo North, who felt the assessment and honour was not in their favour, he alleged the politicians deployed the vigilante group with thugs to disrupt the gathering.
According to him, “Shortly before the event commenced, a group of vigilantes and thugs arrived on motorcycles and without any provocation assaulted participants, damaging equipment, and beating me to pulp.
“I recognizsd some of the vigilante members. They descended on me and my colleagues, beat us up with matchets and clubs and even captured the violence on video. Then threw me into their waiting Hilux vehicle where they continued to brutalize me with the butts of their rifles,” Okhani said.
“They took me to the Auchi Area Command of the Nigeria Police where I was detained for over four hours without formal charges. They falsely claimed that my venue was not approved for the event. Yet the venue, a public event centre, was officially approved. At the Command, worried by the critical condition that I was in, the Police released me to my wife to seek medical treatment,” he added.
Okhani described the incident as a politically motivated assault and expressed concern that local vigilante groups were now being used as tools of intimidation by powerful individuals in Edo North. “I am in pain—my ribs, my head. These men dragged me to an unknown location before deciding to hand me over to the Area Commander, ACP Lawrence Adjihu, and his deputy, CSP Albert Udeme.”
Calling for public support and prayers, he urged the Edo State government to prevent further abuse of power by vigilante operatives while calling for those behind the attack to be brought to book.
The Edo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Moses Iyamu, who confirmed the incident, said the Police Command was aware and has commenced an investigation into the matter.
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