Re-instated Deputy Governor Of Edo State, Philip Shaibu Escapes Assassination

Philip Shaibu, the deputy governor of Edo State who was recently reinstated after being impeached, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Benin City, the state capital, on Thursday.

Shaibu had just returned to Edo from Abuja, where a Federal High Court had overturned his impeachment the previous day. He was traveling with Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Edo, when their convoy was attacked by gunmen.

The attackers reportedly killed a policeman in the convoy during the assault, which occurred on Airport Road as Shaibu and others arrived from Abuja on a chartered flight. Okpebholo’s condition is currently unknown, though he is reportedly receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Benin City.

The Edo State House of Assembly, which had initially impeached Shaibu, announced that it would appeal the court’s decision to void the impeachment.

Witnesses reported that the gunmen, in a vehicle at the airport exit gate, opened fire on the convoy, prompting a response from the armed security details accompanying Shaibu and Okpebholo. The attack caused panic, with shops and offices closing abruptly and motorists fleeing their vehicles to seek safety.

SP Chidi Nwabuzor, the Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, stated that the incident is under investigation and that it is too early to provide further details.