Edo State Government has vowed to prosecute individuals who harass and attack its officials in the line of duty, noting that such attacks will no longer be condoned.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Planning, Isoken Omo, gave the warning after the family and associates of one Braimah Isah, a land developer, were apprehended by security operatives for assaulting government officials on duty at Ikhueniro, Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area.
Omo, who spoke during a press briefing, said Braimah, his wife and other accomplices had physically abused officers of the Ministry of Physical Planning, Housing, Urban and Regional Development, who were out on investigations.
She said while Mr Braimah is at large, his wife has been apprehended.
Omo noted, “My staff who are in charge of Ikpoba Okha local council went to Ikhueniro to investigate a petition we had received. We later received a report that they were attacked. The people on the site used machetes on them. They took off the wigs of our officials, and also tore off their reflective jackets even after they were properly identified by showing their identity cards and other forms of identification.
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“They also asked people from the community to attack. Their vehicle was attacked and they embarrassed our staff. These attackers have been brought to book. These people who have done this have been arrested and will be prosecuted so they will face the full weight of the law.”
The commissioner warned against attacks on government officials, noting that government staff must be allowed to do their work without fear.
Narrating her ordeal, the Ikpoba Okha Area Planning Officer (APO), Adams Anthonia, noted that it started as an altercation when the developer refused to accept the notice of contravention, insisting that the fence of the building is on the road as previously stated in the petition received.
“We told him to come to the office with his land documents for further investigations, which he agreed to. But on serving him the contravention notice, he started calling us impostors, tore the notice and ran to take cutlass from his vehicle to attack us. His wife also came, seized my phone and took off my wigs. While others in the area joined in physically abusing us,” she noted.
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