Edo Govt, Shaibu in verbal war over killing of police officer, invasion of Benin Airport

As reactions continue to trail the last Thursday’s violence at the Benin Airport which resulted in the death of a Police Inspector, the Edo State Government and the reinstated deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, are at each other’s throat over who masterminded the crisis.

DAILY POST reports that while the State Government in its petition to the Inspector-General of Police accused Philip Shaibu of orchestrating the crisis along with some APC chieftains, Shaibu, however, accused the state government’s security agencies of killing the Police officer.

DAILY POST recalls that on Thursday, July 18, 2024 suspected sponsored armed political thugs invaded the vicinity of the Benin Airport at the time Shaibu and the governorship candidate of APC, Senator Monday Okpebholo, arrived from Abuja.

The invasion led to the killing of a Police Inspector, Akor Onuh, of MOPOL 45 Abuja, an orderly attached to the APC governorship candidate, while several other persons sustained various degrees of injury.

The Edo State Government’s petition signed by the State Solicitor General, Prof Faith Osadolor on behalf of the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, urged the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the incident by inviting Shaibu and his supporters.

He said if the accused are found culpable, they should be brought to book.

The petition was titled, ‘Request to Investigate a Case of Conspiracy to Commit Murder, Murder, Malicious Damage to Property, Breach of Public Peace and Assault Occasioning Harm by Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Philip Shaibu and his Cohorts’.

Reacting to the development, Shaibu described the petition as a mere statement that is devoid of legal substances.

Shaibu spoke at a ‘Special Thanksgiving service in appreciation of God’s protection, provision and grace’ over him and his household, on Sunday.

The reinstated deputy governor, who said he would not like to join issues with the State Government, accused the Edo State Security Network, ESSN, and the State Public Works Volunteers, PUWOV, of being responsible for the invasion of the airport, killing the Police officer and shooting of several other persons.

He opined that the State Government was struggling with words to exonerate itself of the crime.

Shaibu said, “I don’t want to join issues with useless statements. You can see that they are struggling hard to prove that they have no hands in what has happened.

“But they know what they have done and are trying to cover it up, but this one they cannot cover it. Particularly when they have killed a police officer. All of them must be picked, they orchestrated it, and the men of the vigilante and PUWOV did that, they killed a policeman and IG must invite them.

“They orchestrated it, the men of Vigilant, and PUWOV did that. The vigilante in Edo state killed the policeman and injured people.

“The IGP will definitely go into it. Don’t worry yourself about their useless petition. They are struggling to see how they can rope people in. They cannot rope anybody in. The vigilante killed a policeman.”

Shaibu called on President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police to set up panel of inquiry not just to investigate the incident, but to also proscribe vigilantes and the PUWOV.