Ahead of the September 21st Edo State governorship election, the candidate of Labor Party, Mr. Olumide Akpata, has accused an unnamed senior government official of the Edo State Government as the mastermind of his attack at the University of Benin.
The University’s Senior Staff Club hosted an interactive session with the Labour Party’s candidate for governor which was forcefully interrupted, causing chaos on the school grounds.
Olumide in a viral video released on Sunday which was obtained by Africa Today News, New York, said a senior lecturer, who sustained injury as a result of the attack is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Benin.
He debunked allegations that his security personnel shot a student of the University, describing the claim as “another lie from the pit of hell.”
He said at the appropriate time a detailed report of the incident and those involved would be made known to the police for appropriate action.
His words: “My staff drew my attention to a video that is making the rounds currently of an individual who claimed to be shot at an event I attended yesterday and claimed to have been shot by security agents. I looked at the video and nothing can be further than the truth. I only wished that the individual could show his face and determine the veracity of his story.
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“I was invited to the University of Benin senior staff club to hold an interactive session with members of the club. I’m told that a similar event took place a couple of weeks ago by the PDP candidate. To our surprise and consternation, this event was interrupted very rudely by some hoodlums who claimed to be students of University of Benin.
“They disrupted the event, insisting that it shouldn’t be held without informing them, you can imagine how shocked we were, including the professors there. They barricaded the gate with their vehicles, there was fracas in the precinct of the club, a lecturer was injured and he is at the hospital. I had to be taken away by security personnel and even as we attempted to leave Uniben the highway was barricaded. It took my security personnel to remove the barricade before we continued our journey.
“We know what is going on. It is election season and it is quite obvious some of our old and very tired politicians are up to their usual antics and they have learnt nothing. I have it on good authority that those hoodlums were deployed by a senior official of the Edo State Government and I’m speaking directly to this official now. I know you and you know me.
“I want to place it on record that at no time was the student of the University of Benin shot. The video was sent to bring misinformation, I was the one who was attacked and professors were attacked.”
Meanwhile, the Management of the University of Benin in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire, has condemned the reported violence.