3 Feared Dead In Clash Between PDP, APC As Thugs Destroy House Of Fleeing Member
By Our CORRESPONDENT
No fewer than 3 persons have reportedly died during a clash which broke out between supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and thugs of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oredo Ward 5 ahead of the September 21 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo State.
The 3 members, who were said to be members of the opposition party APC, were attacked during their campaign in the local community by thugs.
An eye-witness said the APC supporters in their numbers were allegedly attacked along Akpakpava axis of Benin City when suspected thugs of the PDP armed with guns, machetes and battle-axe jumped out of a waiting bus parked along the roadside where they unleashed terror of unimaginable magnitude on the APC supporters.
It was said that the 3 supporters were instantly confirmed dead after the attack while others who sustained injuries fled and abandoned the corpses of its members on the ground as the thugs shot sporadically in the atmosphere before making their escape.
Meanwhile, the identities of the 3 dead APC members were given as Napoleon Raymond, Uyi Otas and Wellington Efe.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that before the recent murder of the 3 supporters of the APC in Ward 5, an APC youth leader, Osaro Ojo in Ward 5, Oredo who fled from the community in 2007 was also murdered in cold-blood in April 5th 2016 after returning to his hometown several years after he fled from the crisis which erupted in the community.
The 3 murdered supporters were said to have close ties with the fleeing (AC) Action Congress party now All Progressives Congress (APC) agent, Odiase Eghosa Dele who also fled when PDP thugs wanted him dead.
Recall that during 2007 general elections, Odiase Eghosa Dele who worked as a party agent in Ward 5, Oguala Primary School in Benin City was accused by the supporters of the PDP who were allegedly caught swapping ballot-boxes in the ward after it was discovered the party lost outrightly at the ward level.
In 2007 the Action Congress (AC) party agent Odiase Eghosa Dele was said to have managed to escape from the scene of violence as it was gathered that the PDP reportedly went after him by attacking his family residence in Benin City where they wreaked havoc by inflicting injuries on members of his immediate family and also destroyed
The recent killings of some of his friends had further heightened the threat to the life of Dele who fled after persistent threat and harassment meted out on him.
