A member of the Retired Police Officers Association and Community leader in Benin City, Chief Derrick Asemota, has alleged that the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has empowered his boys to continue to unleash violence in the state.
Chief Asemota stressed that his action has instilled fear in residents of Benin City and the entire state as they no longer sleep with their two eyes closed.
He called the attention of President Bola Tinubu to a statement credited to the Governor Obaseki, where he threatened to burn down Nigeria if any of his boys were arrested following the violence that erupted at the Benin Airport last week, which claimed the life of a police Inspector.
He quoted the Governor to have said: “We just kept quiet last Thursday. If they try what they did last Thursday again, Nigeria will burn. Those people who did it, you refused to arrest them, rather you want to come and arrest our boys.”
Chief Asemota condemned the statement, saying it undermined the lives of policemen in the service of their fatherland.
He said the governor simply undermined the death of a policeman with his full chest, while throwing his weight behind his boys, many of whom are known for political thuggery.
“Obaseki’s body language and statement was too partisan for a governor to make in public. After all, the President also belongs to a party. What if he decides to tow the same line of partisanship.
“Instead of Governor Obaseki sympathising with the police and the family of the deceased officer, he is boasting that the entire country would burn if his boys were arrested.
“Who are those boys he is trying to protect? We know them. They are political thugs that are quick to shoot and fight for politicians. We know them more than him because they live among us.”
The Octogenarian who called on the governor to retract his statement added: “The governor has policemen protecting him in Government House, and they will not be happy for that kind of public outburst.
“What the governor has just done will inspire the thugs to continue in their lawlessness.
“Since last Thursday’s shooting in Benin City, everybody has been afraid because we do not know what will happen in the next political gathering.”