Following the attack on the 2023 Labour Party (LP) Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, and some chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State, the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, has narrated how the incident happened.
Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Akpata, a former Edo State governorship candidate of the LP, said he and Obi separately received intelligence reports on Tuesday warning that the venue of their political event in Benin City would soon come under attack.
Akpata said the developement was received when LP members in Edo State had gathered to formally move into ADC at the party Secretariat on Ogbelaka Street in Benin City for a ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m.
According to him, as the programme progressed, intelligence from reliable sources suggested the venue could soon be attacked, so the event was hurriedly concluded, and leaders were ushered out.
Shortly after they left, he said, armed men attacked the secretariat and his cousin narrowly escaped being hit by a bullet.
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“I was in harm’s way, there’s no doubt. I was alongside other people. We were in harm’s way yesterday in Benin.
“Thankfully, due to the efforts of some of the security personnel who were there, I think what could have been a very dastardly event was averted yesterday.
“We got information as the event proceeded from sources that are usually reliable that the venue would very soon come under attack from some unknown persons.
“I received that information separately. Mr Obi received that information… and we were advised to speed up the event… to avert what those persons thought would be a crisis.
“We told them that, listen, because of this development, come to Chief Oyegun’s house. We would address the press there.
“This was a decision taken on the fly because… things had changed. We didn’t have time to do any press [briefing]. Anything could have happened.
“We started getting calls that as soon as we left the secretariat on Ogbelaka Street, some guys actually showed up and attacked the venue, attacked people,” he said.
