Benin attack: We were clearly in harm’s way – Akpata

By Lawrence Agbo

Olumide Akpata, a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association, has described the events that led to the attack on several African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftains in Edo State, including Peter Obi, within a day.

The former Labour Party (LP) candidate for governor of Edo State, Akpata, claimed that he and Obi received independent intelligence reports on Tuesday that warned of an impending attack on the location of their political gathering in Benin City.

“I was in harm’s way, there’s no doubt. I was alongside other people. We were in harm’s way yesterday in Benin,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.

“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.”

The lawyer-turned-politician said that during a ceremony set for 11 a.m., LP members in Edo State had assembled at the party Secretariat on Ogbelaka Street in Benin City to migrate into ADC formally. outlined how information from trustworthy sources indicated that the venue would soon be targeted while the presentation went forward.

“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,” he said.

Akpata described the venue as “a very tight building, narrow building, and even a stampede would be dangerous,” adding that the street “is densely populated.”

According to him, the leaders were ushered out, and the gathering was quickly dismissed.

“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,” he said.

He claimed that armed guys attacked the secretariat shortly after they departed. He revealed that his cousin barely avoided getting shot.

“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.