Edo State Deputy Governor Shaibu Survives Assassination Attempt

Philip Shaibu, the Edo State Deputy Governor, on Thursday, survived an assassination attempt on his life, with one of the police officers attached to his security details killed.

The incident reportedly occurred at the exit gate roundabout at Benin Airport, near Mediplex environs, as some gunmen attacked his convoy.

The incident, as captured in a viral video on X, indicated a gunfight between the gunmen, said to be the Edo State Security Network (ESSN) led by Francis Inegbeniki, and the deputy governor’s convoy.

Following the incident, Shaibu’s media team released a press statement confirming the attack, indicating the horrifying event.

The attack, orchestrated by state-sponsored thugs and members of the Edo State Security Network (ESSN), witnessed sporadic shootings that left the cheering crowd who had come to welcome the reinstated deputy governor back to Benin, scampering for their dear lives seeking protection from the flying stray bullets,” the statement reads in part.

“However, it took the effort and intervention of security officers to rescue the situation, leaving the state-sponsored thugs and local vigilantes to run from the spot and allowing the rallying crowd to reconvene.

“Sadly, one gallant police officer attached to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, who rode alongside the deputy governor’s convoy, lost his life in the unprovoked brutal attack, with several officers and supporters wounded,” the statement added.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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