Edo govt has no record of alleged Appeal Court attack’

By Isaac Olamikan

Edo State Government has said it has no record of an attack at the Court of Appeal in Benin City and the alleged kidnap of an unnamed lawyer, noting that the allegations are fabrications by detractors to serve their selfish ends. In a statement, Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Osarodion Ogie Esq., said the state government or its agencies or officials have no record of the phantom ‘invasion’ of the Court of Appeal in the state.

According to him, “at the weekend, a section of the media reported an alleged invasion of the Court of Appeal in Benin City, stating that court processes were carted away and that an unnamed lawyer was kidnapped, The Trumpet gathered.

“Since then, certain parties have sought to suggest that the Edo State Government or its agents played a part in this alleged ‘invasion’.

“The Edo State Government hereby states unequivocally that none of its agencies or officials has a record of this alleged incident, and neither did the government witness, let alone participate in the phantom attack.”

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He continued: “In order to prevent this obvious manufactured story from being taken as fact by all concerned, it may be necessary to restate the facts so that discerning members of the public will recognize the very cynical manipulation that is being attempted by malevolent political activists.

“Neither the Edo State Government nor any of its Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) or officials is a party to the suit regarding the selection of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delegates pending at the High Court in Benin City and which matter has now proceeded to the Court of Appeal, also in Benin. “Consequently, there is no basis whatsoever for the allegations that agents of the state were involved in any altercations at the courts that it so seriously reveres and protects.”