By Simon Ebegbulem & Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN-CITY—EDO State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, was yesterday quizzed for several hours by the Police over his allegation that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration diverted rice sent to the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, by the Nigerian Customs.
It would be recalled that Chief Orbih while addressing journalists recently claimed the state government diverted over 4000 of the 6, 228 bags of rice meant for the IDP camp at Uhogua in Edo State askingthe government must account for the missing rice.
But the state government in a petition to the State Police Command through the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Osarodion Ogie, urged the security agent to investigate the matter.
In the petition by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Osarodion Ogie, and addressed to the Police commissioner, the government said: “The purpose of this complaint is to formally bring these weighty and unsubstantiated allegations to your attention and to request a thorough investigation with a view to establishing the veracity or otherwise of same.
“It is the contention of the Edo State Government that Chief Dan Orbih should be called upon to provide evidence of the serious crimes he has alleged to have been committed by the Edo State Government and to furnish your command with facts, details and proof of the allegations he has made in the public domain.”
Meanwhile, Chief Orbih who arrived at the Edo State Police Headquarters at about 10.00am yesterday accompanied by his lawyers and top PDP chieftains was still being interrogated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police before the arrival of Mr. Johnson Kokumo, the State Commissioner of Police later.
It was learnt that Orbih made a statement and was questioned for several hours by investigative police officers.
Orbih told journalists after his interaction with the police commissioner, that his statement to the security agency substantiated his claims.
He said, “They showed me a copy of the petition written by the state government. The petition is a clear design by the state government to silence the opposition. I assure you that I will be very, very consistent in our criticism of the state government’s policies. From my own statement, it has been well established that the government of Edo State misappropriated the rice meant for the IDPs. I also want to commend the Edo State Police Command for the mature and professional way they have handled this issue.”
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