On Friday, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned the killing of a police officer during a battle with thugs in Benin-city, the Edo state capital on Thursday, News About Nigeria reports.
The party also accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of masterminding the violence, alleging that the tragedy was caused by the reckless demonstration of force by thugs mobilied by the APC governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo and some of his allies who are prominent politicians, to accompany them from the Benin Airport in a show of force.
While mourning the deceased officer, the party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, tasked the police to properly investigate the matter to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.
The statement partly reads, “The PDP asserts that the rush by the APC to point accusing fingers on some agencies of the Edo State Government even before any investigation, exposes APC’s desperation to cover its complicity in the violence. The PDP invites Nigerians to note that the preponderance of pictorial and video evidence show that the groups and thugs at the vicinity of the attack were mobilized by the APC and the said prominent politicians, as evident in the boasting of the thugs before the unleashing of mayhem on innocent citizens.
“It is instructive to state that the only entities that would want to cause crisis and instill fear in the people ahead of the Edo State governorship election are the APC and its allying politicians who are frustrated that the APC has no prospect in the election given that it is stuck with an unqualified candidate. Our Party therefore demands that the Inspector General of Police immediately invite and question those whose agents and supporters were seen with thugs at the Benin Airport prior to the attack as evident in the said videos and pictures.”
