Protest rocks Benin over arrest of Edo speaker, others by EFCC

POLITICAL tension heightened in Edo State
yesterday, following the arrest of the speaker of the Edo
State House of Assembly, Uyi Igbe, the Majority Leader of
the House, Philip Shaibu, and the Chief Whip, Folly
Ogedengbe, by the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, in Abuja.
Alleged forgery
The trio, who travelled to Abuja last Monday on the
invitation of the EFCC, was said to have been detained for
alleged forgery of the signature of one of PDP lawmakers,
Rasaq Momoh, during the impeachment of Deputy Speaker
of the House, Festus Ebea.
Their detention elicited protest, led by the Chairman, House
Committee on Information, Kabiru Adjoto, in Benin
yesterday.
Adjoto vowed that they would stage a one million man
march in Abuja, if the lawmakers were not released by
yesterday, describing as unfortunate the fact that the EFCC
would turn itself into a tool for the PDP to use to witch hunt
APC lawmakers in Edo State.
“If they kill our principal officers, we will fight with our
blood,” Adjoto warned.
He also raised an alarm over alleged plot by the EFCC and
the PDP to eliminate the trio but warned that the EFCC
should be ready to kill the entire Edo people if anything went
wrong with their principal officers.
Speaker faints
The situation is even more critical as the speaker who is
the son of the Iyase of Benin Kingdom (Prime Minister), is
said to have fainted twice at the EFCC cell in Abuja,
following the torture he allegedly received.
Adjoto said:   “As I speak with you, the EFCC has arrested
the speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, the Majority
Leader, Philip Shaibu, Chief whip, Folly Ogedengbe. They
were arrested Wednesday and as we speak they are being
kept under very inhuman condition in Abuja.
“You are all aware that last week, there was a very vicious
attack on the legislative quarters. Philip Shaibu sustained
serious bullet wounds, the Speaker was wounded and the
Chief whip was wounded equally.
“The EFCC arrested them not minding their health
conditions. We are reliably informed that the Speaker of the
House collapsed two times this morning. Philip is bleeding
profusely and they are being denied medical attention.
“As we speak, the reasons for their arrest is that the EFCC
said they forged the signature of Rasaq Momoh when the
former deputy Speaker Festus Ebea was impeached.
Concern
“Our concern is this, when did the EFCC become an agency
to investigate forgery of signature? When has forgery of
signature become a financial crime? Impeachment of either
the Speaker or Deputy Speaker is purely the business of the
House. EFCC has no business what so ever with it. We are
surprised that the EFCC can reduce itself to investigate a
crime that has already been spelt out as a criminal matter
according to the constitution.
“ The EFCC is not set up to investigate forgery of signature
and that they have reduced themselves shows that they are
not just acting.
“As we speak, the leadership of the PDP in Edo State is at
the headquarters in Abuja. And the most worrisome is that
the President of the country has given directive that these
three principal officers of the Edo State House of Assembly
be charged to court and be remanded indefinitely. That is
giving us serious concerns. One will expect the police to
investigate that matter, what has EFCC got to do with
forgery of signature.?
“Last week these same people came here to kill us. As we
speak, innocent people are being picked up on the streets of
Benin, but the real people have that committed crime not
been arrested. They went to PDP secretariat and were
celebrating.
“But as a people, we will not fold our hands and allow this
injustice to continue. We are giving EFCC till 4pm today to
release these principal officers. If they refuse to release
them, as a people we have resolved to organise a one
million man march to Abuja and Abuja will know that we
have arrived.”