It was a reign of terror Saturday morning as thugs loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party invaded the Edo State House of Assembly Legislator’s Quarters and smashed 36 cars belonging to members of the All Progressives Congress in the Quarters.
The thugs also shot at doors and windows of seven chalets inhabited by APC lawmakers and by the time they ended their operation, property worth several millions of naira had been destroyed.
According to eyewitnesses, the invaders started converging on the George Idah Primary School from 6:30am from where they launched the attack. They tied up the security man at the gate and met no further resistance after gaining entrance as the policemen attached to the lawmakers were said to have been withdrawn earlier in the week on orders from above.
Some of the APC lawmakers sustained injuries as they fled the rampaging marauders.
Governor Adams Eric Oshiomhole who was conducted round the Legislators’ Quarters by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Uyi Igbe expressed shock at the level of destruction in the quarters.
Addressing newsmen after the inspection, Governor Oshiomhole said, “the PDP leaders had a meeting where it was decided that thugs should be recruited using one Idehen to come and perpetrate this attack.
He said, “It is very clear that the Police granted permission for this attack. The Commissioner of Police was informed at about 10:00pm last night of the plan of the PDP to attack the Legislative quarters and the APC office.
“We made this intelligence available to the Commissioner of Police and you can see that even the minimal police presence here was evacuated so that these thugs can come and have a free reign of terror. This morning, when they assembled at a point they were meant to assemble, the fact was conveyed to the Commissioner of Police.
“They actually assembled at George Idah Primary School this morning before they proceeded and the Police provided supervision for this very serious criminal act. It is very clear that the police command granted permission to PDP to carry out this heinous crime.
He said, “I think for all Nigerians, at a time when we are confronted by insurgency and other forms of violent crime, one will expect that any functionary of the other party will share the concern of the President on peace and security. You can see some of the PDP Leaders in Edo State having lost out and rejected by the people believe that they can create a situation that will make Edo State ungovernable and create complete distraction in their futile calculation that they can remove themselves from power.
“This is a very dangerous thing. I am not so much worried about the violent character of the PDP, I am more worried by what seems to be the police readiness to provide them with cover.
The Governor who also spoke on the attack on a former member of the State House of Assembly, Mr Rasaq Momoh said, “You will recall that during the Local Government Election, Razak Momoh was arrested by the police with two guns; a pistol and a double barrel gun. As of that time during that Local Government election, he was still a member of ACN.
“When he was arrested and the facts were brought to my attention, I asked the police to ensure that he was prosecuted according to law. He was remanded by court in prison for 4 months before he was granted bail and as we speak that matter is pending at the High Court”
Oshiomhole said “about six months before the election, Razak was shot by his own fellow criminals and he was taken to the hospital” adding that he encouraged Rasak Momoh to disclose who shot him and he claimed he didn’t know.
Oshiomhole said, “This is someone who has a history of violence. History of carrying guns and attacking people with guns and I have insisted and I still do that everyone who has committed crime must be prosecuted according to the law of the land.
“The fact that he is a Lawmaker makes it imperative for him to be seen to obey the law and the police told me then that when he was arrested he asked the police, do you know who he is? That he is a member of the House of Assembly and the police had to remind him that he doesn’t have immunity
Oshiomhole said, “My warning to PDP is that power is very transient. Today you are in power, tomorrow you are out of power. Any crime you have committed that the present political order covers you, when the order changes, you will report to justice.
“Yesterday (Friday) at the Airport, the President came and in line with my conviction that he is the President of Nigeria and not of a particular party, I went to receive him. When he was here two weeks ago to address a rally, I went to the airport to receive him. For me that is the idea of politics. It is not war. It should not be so primitive
“Yesterday (Friday) again, I went to the airport to receive the President for the ground breaking ceremony of a private sector investment which we jointly midwifed with over $800 million. This same Pastor Ize-Iyamu organised rascals and they were abusing themselves.
“The whole idea of their plan was to create a scene at the airport because they have no responsibilities and I have responsibility. If there was any fracas at the airport it would seem as if the Governor of Edo State was not able to receive the President.
“Because they didn’t get a response, they descended on APC Chairman, and they attacked him, attacked the Chief of Staff and the Secretary to the Government. I advised them to leave them as two wrongs do not make a right.”
He said, “The activities of the rascals cannot distract us from governance, it will not lead us to resorting to their primitive practice and we will document all these facts and draw the attention of the President and I will like to see how the President responds to them.”
