The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo has accused the state police command of complicity in the attack on its governorship candidate, Sen. Monday Okpebholo and the reinstated deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.

Gunmen attacked the two on Thursday while exiting Benin Airport shortly after they arrived from Abuja aboard a chartered flight.

The party, during a press conference on Friday in Benin, called for the sack of the Commissioner of Police, Funso Adegboye.

Kassim Afegbua, director of media, APC campaign council for the Sept. 21 election, said the ruthless shooting and killing of a policeman was witnessed by the police chief.

Mr Afegbua said the party had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police to look into the case and check how the police commissioner undermined the role of the police.

According to him, some members of the party, who saw the commissioner at the airport shared the intelligence of what was about to happen, but unfortunately, he allegedly ignored it.

“It is disheartening to observe that while the ruthless shootings were going on, Adeboye was on ground at the Benin Airport and he did nothing to repel the vicious attack which led to the death of one of his officers.

“As fate would have it, it was our candidate’s police attache that was killed, while our candidate and the deputy governor missed death by the whiskers.

“From witness account, it is very clear that some of these hoodlums are members of the Edo Vigilante Network and are fully knitted in their uniforms.

“The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, has willfully undermined the responsibility placed on him by law, that is, protection of lives and property within his jurisdiction.

“As at today, Edo State is in a state of lawlessness occasioned by the non-control of the source of weapons being paraded by members of Edo State Vigilante Network who are recruited without any formal training,” Mr Afegbua said.

The director of media described the attack on the candidate as an assassination attempt as well as a disdain for peace that the state and its people were known for.

Reacting, Mr Adegboye exonerated himself of any wrongdoing during the mayhem.

He refuted a claim that intelligence was shared with him ahead of the attack, saying there was no crisis throughout his stay at the airport.

“I had information that some people gathered at the airport, supporters and I went in there because our goal is to maintain law and order. Where we discover we have a crowd, we will go there.

“So we were there, myself and my men and it was after these people left the airport that we learnt about the shooting which led to the death of the inspector.

“Nobody gave me any intelligence of what was about to happen. There was no single incidence at the premises of the airport,” he said

The commissioner noted, however, that investigation was ongoing and those whose names had been mentioned in the incident would be arrested soon.

(NAN)