Toba Owojaiye reporting
Benin City, Edo State
In a move that has drawn widespread criticism, the Senator Monday Okpebholo-led Edo State Government appears to have prioritized political vendettas over addressing the pressing challenges of governance. Recent allegations surrounding a 2012 Toyota Prado SUV, involving Chris Osa Nehikhare, a former Commissioner in the Obaseki administration, have exposed what many are calling a mindless witch hunt against political opponents.
At the center of this saga is a committee chaired by Kelly Okungbowa, alias Ebo Stone, tasked with recovering government assets. Instead of focusing on substantive governance issues, the committee has sensationalized the purchase of a derelict Toyota Prado by Nehikhare, weaving baseless allegations into a propaganda campaign.
Nehikhare, in a detailed statement made available to Truth Live News, has laid bare the facts: the SUV in question was auctioned as an unserviceable vehicle under due process. Bought for a modest ₦700,000, the vehicle was little more than scrap metal when acquired. What followed was a meticulous and personally financed restoration, transforming the abandoned wreck into a roadworthy vehicle.
To further buttress his position, Nehikhare revealed, “Anyone familiar with Edo State’s operations during that era knows this… Toyota Prado vehicles were never part of the official fleet assigned to commissioners or purchased by Edo State government since 2016.” It is noteworthy to stress that the vehicle was bought during the Adams Oshiomole administration, about a decade ago.
Contrary to the committee’s ludicrous claim that the vehicle is now worth ₦200 million, Nehikhare has provided receipts, records, and witnesses to confirm the legality and transparency of the transaction. The question then arises: why has the current administration opted to mislead the public with such patently absurd valuations?
This manufactured controversy comes at a time when the Okpebholo administration faces mounting pressure to address critical issues such as insecurity, youth unemployment, and deteriorating infrastructure. Rather than tackling these challenges head-on, the government appears to have diverted energy and resources toward settling political scores.
Observers have noted that the committee’s actions smack of desperation—a calculated attempt to distract from its lack of policy direction and meaningful governance. As one political analyst put it, “This witch hunt is nothing more than a smokescreen to mask the government’s unpreparedness to lead effectively.”
The committee’s approach has been described as weaponizing bureaucracy to malign political adversaries. Videos produced and publicized by Kelly Okungbowa are widely seen as tools of character assassination rather than instruments of justice. The decision to ignore Nehikhare’s formal submission of documents proving his ownership of the vehicle further underscores the committee’s political motives.
As Nehikhare aptly noted in his response, “This controversy is not about a vehicle. It is a targeted attempt to discredit me… to weaponise bureaucracy and media narratives to serve political interests and settle scores.”
The allegations have sparked a wave of public criticism, with many Edo citizens calling out the government’s misplaced priorities. “Instead of focusing on fixing roads and improving healthcare, they are busy chasing ghosts,” lamented a resident of Benin City.
The discerning people of Edo State are not buying into the propaganda. For them, the real issues lie in the lack of vision and leadership displayed by the current administration.
As Nehikhare himself declared, this distraction cannot be allowed to derail the focus on governance. His statement stands as a powerful rebuttal to the orchestrated smear campaign, backed by verifiable evidence of transparency and due process.