Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Edo State Police Command has officially invited the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Olumide Akpata over alleged violence that erupted between his followers and the students of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Ugbowo Campus, last Friday.
The Public Relations Officer of the Edo State command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor revealed this in Benin.
Recall that Barrister Olumide Akpata attended an investiture ceremony on the invitation of UNIBEN Staff Club, but the event turned violent, when the venue was invaded by some persons whom the Apkata campaign alleged were agents of the PDP-controlled State Government with the intention to assassinate him.
He said that the invitation was served on the LP guber flagbearer by investigators in the Political Desk Session of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Command Headquarters, Benin, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
SP Nwabuzor further explained that the invitation of Olumide Akpata was part of investigation initiated into the crisis by the police Command.
Contacted, the Labour Party Chairman, Edo State Mr. Kelly Ogbaloi confirmed the receipt of police invitation.
He said he was not in Benin when the letter was delivered but assured that he would honour the invitation.
“Barr. Olumide Akpata is our candidate but UNIBEN invited him to honour him on personal note. I didn’t sign surety of his safety there. I don’t know why the police is equally inviting me to come along with Barrister Olumide Akpata.
“The police ought to have done their background checks, his being honoured by UNIBEN had nothing to do with our party Secretariat so I don’t know why I am being asked to come along with him to police Command Headquarters in Benin. However, I will honour the invitation”, Mr. Kelly Ogbaloi stated.
Barr Akpata had in a live broadcast denied the alleged shootings at students on UNIBEN campus by his security personnel, but rather placed the blame on the state and its agents.
The state police Command had last Monday announced that it had launched investigation to unravel the remote and immediate circumstances surrounding the security breaches, involving shooting.
“The incident that happened over there, I think is lack of understanding between the people, I mean the Students Union Government of the great University of Benin and the guber candidate of Labour Party in Edo State. And we thank God that the incident did not escalate beyond the level it is now,” Nwabuzor said.
“The investigation is on under the Political Desk Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department of the state police Command. I don’t want to go further so that I don’t jeopardize investigation,” he said.
The police spokesman further stated that the ongoing investigation would pay discreet attention to all the claims and counterclaims made so far by Akpata, UNIBEN students body, among others.
In a statement released on Monday April 13, the University of Benin Student Union Government (SUG) took a swipe at Barr Olumide Akpata, placing at his doorsteps the blame for the alleged shooting of an undergraduate student.
The student body also accused Akpata and his entourage of entering UNIBEN premises without authorization, painting them as the aggressors in an incident that involved the alleged shooting, brutalization and humiliation of students.
The SUG said: “The assistant secretary general was not spared either as she also received a heavy dose of insult from the aggressive lecturer, the incident was aptly taken to the dean of law and the dean of students, whilst the SUG President pleaded that the lecturer should be pardoned, de-escalate the situation”.
“Fast forward to the evening, at the staff club, these same lecturers made a mockery of the union and during the heated verbal discussion, the SUG Director of Sports was dragged and beaten severely by some of the armed men that came with the Labour Party governorship aspirant in person of Olumide Akpata.”