The Edo State secretariat of the African Democratic Party (ADC) in Benin City was attacked on Wednesday night by suspected thugs.
When journalists visited the party office located on Ogbelaka Street, several party flags within the premises had been vandalised, two windows were shattered, and multiple billboards around the building were pulled down. Parts of the structure were also reportedly gutted by fire.
Party members were seen at the scene discussing the incident and warning against any further attempt to disrupt activities at the secretariat.
Eyewitnesses said the attack occurred at about 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday. According to them, the assailants arrived in a white bus and allegedly poured a substance suspected to be fuel around the building in an attempt to set it ablaze. Residents in the area were said to have intervened promptly, preventing the building from being completely burnt.
Speaking in a phone interview, the Edo State Chairman of the ADC, Mr. Kennedy Odion, confirmed the incident and disclosed that the party moved into the secretariat last month. He called on security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible in order to prevent a recurrence.
“I received a distress call on Wednesday that our secretariat was on fire. I immediately contacted security agencies to help put out the fire,” Odion said.
“Eyewitnesses told us that a bus conveyed some masked boys to the scene and that they poured fuel around the building to set it on fire. They destroyed party billboards and other items. We have reported the incident to security agencies to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book.”
Odion added that the party moved into the secretariat on January 17 and had engaged local security to safeguard the premises, noting that the attackers also attempted to break into the building.
“This shows that the people cannot be silenced. We did not pay the residents who chased the attackers away. Security agencies must remain neutral and do the needful,” he stated.
Confirming the attack, the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, SP Eno Ikoedem, said suspected hoodlums invaded the party’s premises and damaged property.
She explained that police operatives were immediately deployed to the scene to restore normalcy.
“Preliminary assessment revealed malicious damage to party flags and two shattered windows in the premises. Security has since been deployed to forestall further attacks, while investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible,” Ikoedem said.
She added that the command appreciated the prompt report made to the control room, which helped avert further damage, and urged members of the public to promptly report distress situations through the police emergency lines.
Meanwhile, the Obidient Movement in Edo State recently partnered with the ADC to strengthen the party’s structure and presence in the state.
