LP Guber Candidate, Akpata Attacked In UNIBEN, Blames State Government

Mr. Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party’s candidate for Edo State governor on September 21st, charged yesterday that a senior Edo State government official, who wishes to remain anonymous, was the mastermind behind his late Friday afternoon attack at the University of Benin.

The University’s Senior Staff Club hosted an interactive session with the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate as a guest. The event was forcefully interrupted, causing chaos on the school grounds.

In a widely shared video that went viral yesterday, Olumide said that a senior lecturer who was hurt in the incident is now getting medical attention at a facility in Benin that isn’t publicly named.

Claims that one of his security guards shot a University student were refuted by him, calling the story “another lie from the pit of hell.”

He promised to provide the police with a thorough report of the occurrence and individuals involved at the proper time so they could take the necessary measures.

In his own words: “My staff brought to my attention a video that is currently going viral, in which a person claims to have been shot by security guards at an event I went to yesterday. Nothing could be closer to the truth than what I saw in the video. All I wanted was for that person to reveal his identity so I could assess the truthfulness of his account.

“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.

“The Management of the University of Benin has condemned in strong terms reported violence during the visit of the Edo State Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate, Mr Olumide Akpata, on invitation by the Senior Staff Club of the Institution.

“The violent incident, allegedly perpetrated by some students, is unacceptable. Consequently, Management has set up a Committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the violent action.

“The Committee, headed by Professor Frederick Ekhaise, has one week to submit a report to Management,” the statement said.

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