Abuja police allegedly storm Edo for Governor Obaseki’s aides

Policemen from Abuja on Sunday allegedly stormed Edo State and arrested the special adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on security, Mr. Andrew Momodu.

The policemen were said to have had a list of other aides to the governor and some others penned down for arrest who they claimed were the people that attacked the Benin City residence of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Adams Oshiomhole.

The arrest of Momodu kept the state deputy governor, Philip Shaibu, at the Edo police headquarters for over four hours on Sunday night, while he tried to secure the release of the governor’s aide, who was to be whisked to Abuja this Monday.

The deputy governor insisted that the aide must be released to him, else he would sleep outside the police headquarters.

The team of policeman from Abuja, later released Momodu on the condition that the deputy governor would make him and other accused aides on its list available for questioning in Abuja on Wednesday.

Other aides on the list allegedly include special adviser to Obaseki on political matters (Edo South), Osaigbovo Iyoha; head of Obaseki’s Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV), Mr. Murtari Osagie; Mr. Albert Obazee, Mr. Kelly Okungbowa and Augustine Edosomwan.

Momodu told newsmen after he was released, “I left my church programme and went to my business place along Airport road.

“After taking stock of sales, I decided to go home. As I was going home, I saw some persons jumped down from Hilux van.

“They said they were policemen and I told them to calm down. I demanded for their identity card and they showed it to me. This was around 9am.

“One of them came behind me and kicked me. They said they would lift me up. There were other civillians inside the hilux.

“When I got inside their vehicle, they said they were taking me somewhere. I asked where, one of them said Police headquarters.

“When we got there, one of them said they should tie my hand and my leg. The other one said they should handcuff me. I told them I was not going to run away from their cell.

“They brought out a detention order where I saw they wrote conspiracy and attempted murder.

“They made some calls and they were ordered that I should be detained. I was kept insidè the cell.

“My wife had to cry out before my people were able to trace me. They said I recruited youths. They never showed me any petition.

“I asked them what was my offence, they said a petition can come in oral or written form. They said part of allegations raised against me was that I am a cultist.

“I told them I have never been a member of any secret cult. They said I am recruiting people with a view to initiating them into cultism. I told them it was not true.

“They said I am harassing people and attacking them in Benin and in Etsako.

“They never showed me any petition. they said what they asked me is part of the allegation raised against me. They said I possessed firearms.

“This morning, I got a call from one Kabuebue, he said I should find something for them that they are hungry.

“This evening, I received a call from him and he asked me where I was, I told him I was in my petrol station. It was not up to five minutes that police arrived. I am sure he was among the boys in the Hilux.”

Also speaking, Shaibu said that Nigeria has a responsible and intellectual Inspector General of Police ready to change the face of the Nigerian Police.

He added, “We discovered that some persons were up to something. We will investigate and get to the bottom of this.

“We were elected on the basis of protectihg lives and properties which is enshrined in the constituion.

“Not even an appointee can be arrested without our knowledge. We will follow up to know what the issues are.

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“The Governor promised there must be law and order. We are on the same page with the police when it comes to protecting lives and ensuring law and order. It is our duty to be free.

“No one man can dictate our destiny. We are moving the destiny of Edo to the next level. Six of them have been invited.

“The names I am seeing there are not criminals. There is nothing to worry about.”

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