Gunmen attack Edo guber aspirant, Obaseki

A rally organised by a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was disrupted on Sunday by armed thugs.
The incident happened about 5:30pm at Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area of the state.
However, security agents assigned to Obaseki and some youths in the area repelled the attack, leading to the arrest of some of the thugs.
Obaseki, who was visibly shaken, thanked God for escaping their bullets.
“I can’t believe this is happening in Edo State”, he said.
Obaseki immediately called off the rally.
The governorship election will hold on September 10.
If not for the intervention of some elders, the arrested thugs would have been lynched on the spot.
They were later handed over to the police with their guns.
Commissioner for Arts and Culture, McDonald Obasuke, confirmed the incident.
He said: “I personally saw one of the attackers who went inside a vehicle and brought out a gun with which he shot at the venue where Obaseki was about addressing APC delegates.
“While we were still expecting delegates, Obaseki was already inside with the party leaders when this boy (one of the thugs), who pretended he was with us, went inside the car, brought out a gun and fired at our direction.
“We were lucky to dodge the bullets. We immediately mobilised our boys and pursued them because it seems they came to disrupt the event. We caught them and handed them over to the police. It was really shocking but we thank God nobody was hurt. However, Obaseki could not address the delegates because of the shooting” he stated.
Obaseki said: “I called off the meeting with the delegates because I had to be whisked off by my security men. No one was hurt though. I cannot be intimidated, whoever did this has failed because we will continue our campaign”.
It would be recalled that the campaign train of the deputy governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, was also attacked recently at the APC secretariat in Auchi, headquarters of Etsako West Local Government.
The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abiodun Osifo, said the command was yet to be briefed on the incident.
He promised to contact the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Sabongida Ora for details.