At least, one feared dead and two persons including a teenage girl have been reported missing when operatives of Edo State police Command clashed with peaceful protesters at Okhoromi Community in Oredo local government area of Edo State.
It was gathered that the protest organised by aggrieved youths of the Community turned violent when heavily armed personnel of the Nigeria police force accosted the protesters shooting sporadically and firing teargas to disperse them.
The victim identified simply as Nosa was said to be in company of one Mr. Omogun Aigbe Raphael and his adopted daughter Ahanor Ekinadoese Princess on their way to visit some injured protesters when they were ambushed.
The whereabouts of Mr. Omogun Aigbe Raphael and his adopted teenage daughter remained unknown at press time yesterday.
The incident occurred along the busy Airport road – Okhoromi Community, about 31 kilometres from Benin City, the state capital, Wednesday.
Trouble was said to have started when locals who felt deprived by Edo State government action which abruptly terminated the construction of a skill acquisition centre in their community.
Our correspondent who visited the scene gathered that the aggrieved youths had mobilised themselves and were heading peacefully to lodge their grievances at the State house of Assembly and governors office when they were accosted by armed policemen resulting in a bloody chaos.
One of the protesters told our correspondent that their action was against “Edo State government’s deliberate attempts to eliminate owners of private skill acquisition centre now under construction in their neighbourhood.
“Many of us graduated over five years ago without employment, we find it difficult to care for our families, our governments are aware of unemployed youths and nothing is being done to address it. Now, a man, Omogun Aigbe Raphael and wife Patience Adoga have sited a skill acquisition centre here to add value to our lives but some government agents using Edo State Ministry of Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development invaded and chased the workers away after they imposed outrageous tax on the ongoing non-profit making project.
“We heard from a reliable source that some persons at the corridors of power are have perfected plot to deal decisively with the couple using this scheme as a launch pad.
“They claim they are not investors and the skill acquisition centre is a ploy”.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the missing co-owner of the embattled project Mr Omogun Aigbe Raphael was rushed to a medical facility outside Edo State by a kind hearted passerby after the ambush as the whereabouts of his little daughter remains unknown.
Contacted, the Public Relations Officer for Edo State police Command Mr. Kontongs Bello said the police dispersed youths whose conduct constituted breach of public peace in Okhoromi Community, Wednesday.
He confirmed the killing of one Nosa and the said disappearance of Mr. Omogun Aigbe Raphael and his adopted daughter during an ambush after the protest yesterday.
“Our operatives at the homicide section of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Benin have commenced investigation into the unfortunate incident. We commiserate with the deceased family.
“Yes! Teargas was used to disperse the protesters. That was the right thing to do, not live bullets. Besides, we have obtained arrest and detention warrants to keep one Omogun Aigbe Raphael and his wife Patience Adoga owners of the skill acquisition arena in our custody but they narrowly escaped arrest, yesterday. We are on their trail.
“On the alleged plot to eliminate the couple financing the skill acquisition project, I am not aware if such information has been reported to the police.
“I cannot comment on the issue they have with the Edo State Ministry of Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development, but I am aware of a case of alleged tax evasion and land grabbing levelled against them”, the police spokesman stated.
The Commissioner for Ministry of Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development, Edo State Mrs. Isoken Omo said she would speak on the issue on a later day but noted that the government was handling the case.
