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APC, Police disagree over attack on Okpebholo, Philip Shaibu
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The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo has accused the state police command of complicity in the attack on its Governorship Candidate, Sen. Monday Okpebholo and the reinstated deputy governor, Philip Shaibu.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that gunmen attacked the two on Thursday while exiting Benin Airport shortly after they arrived from Abuja aboard a chartered flight.
The party, during a press conference on Friday in Benin, called for the sack of the Commissioner of Police, Funso Adegboye.
Kassim Afegbua, Director of Media, APC Campaign Council for the Sept. 21 election, said the ruthless shooting and killing of a policeman was witnessed by the police chief.
Afegbua said the party had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police to look into the case and check how the police commissioner undermined the role of the police.
According to him, some members of the party, who saw the commissioner at the airport shared the intelligence of what was about to happen, but unfortunately, he allegedly ignored it.
“It is disheartening to observe that while the ruthless shootings were going on, Adeboye was on the ground at the Benin Airport and he did nothing to repel the vicious attack which led to the death of one of his officers.
“As fate would have it, it was our candidate’s police attache that was killed, while our candidate and the deputy governor missed death by the whiskers.
“From eye witness account, it is very clear that some of these hoodlums are members of the Edo Vigilante Netwotk who were fully knitted in their uniforms.
“The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command has willfully undermined the responsibility placed on him by law, that is protection of lives and property within his jurisdiction.
“As of today, Edo State is in a state of lawlessness occasioned by the non-control of the source of weapons being paraded by members of Edo State Vigilante Network who are recruited without any formal training,” Afegbua said.
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The director of media described the attack on the candidate as an assassination attempt as well as a disdain for peace that the state and its people were known for.
Reacting, Adegboye exonerated himself of any wrongdoing during the mayhem.
He refuted a claim that intelligence was shared with him ahead of the attack, saying there was no crisis throughout his stay at the airport.
“I had information that some people gathered at the airport, supporters and I went in there because our goal is to maintain law and order. Where we discover we have a crowd, we will go there.
“So we were there, myself and my men and it was after these people left the airport that we learnt about the shooting which led to the death of the inspector.
“Nobody gave me any intelligence of what was about to happen. There was no single incidence at the premises of the airport,” he said
The commissioner noted, however, that the investigation was ongoing and those whose names had been mentioned in the incident would be arrested soon.
President Bola Tinubu has asked the senate to approve a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture.
The request was contained in a letter dated June 15, 2026, and read on the floor of the senate on Tuesday by Godswill Akpabio.
In the correspondence, Tinubu said the proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the 1999 constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation of state police services.
The president said the bill is designed to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges by introducing a dual policing structure that would allow both federal and state policing systems to operate within a constitutional framework.
According to him, the proposal builds on previous legislative efforts by both chambers of the national assembly and contains additional safeguards to ensure effective implementation.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges, will be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” Tinubu said.
The president described the proposed legislation as a key component of his administration’s broader plan to reform Nigeria’s security system and improve the protection of lives and property.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganize Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I’m confident that the Senate will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” he added.
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Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the proposal expeditious consideration.
Following the reading of the letter, Akpabio referred the bill to the senate committee on constitution review for further legislative action.
The committee was directed to report back to the chamber on the next legislative day.
The Nigerian Senate has fixed Wednesday for the passage of the state police bill.
The lawmakers had cut short their recess to consider the bill, which seeks to amend the 1999 Constitution and decentralise Nigeria’s policing system in response to worsening security challenges
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday transmitted an executive version of the bill to the Senate through a letter dated June 15, 2026.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a dual policing system in which federal and state police forces operate alongside each other.
At the plenary on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the proposal as a key step towards restructuring Nigeria’s security framework.
The proposed legislation was immediately referred to the Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, which is expected to present its report for consideration and voting.
Akpabio called on senators to be present for the exercise, stressing the need for broad support to secure its passage.
“Every senator should endeavor to come tomorrow to be part of this exercise.
“We are going to be live tomorrow and your constituents will be seeing what you are doing,” he added.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has presented Certificates of Return to candidates who emerged victorious in the by-elections conducted on June 20, 2026, across Rivers, Enugu, Nasarawa, Ondo and Kano States.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the electoral commission.
According to INEC, the certificates were presented on behalf of the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, by the Supervising National Commissioner for Rivers State, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu.
Speaking during the presentation, Agbamuche-Mbu congratulated the successful candidates and urged them to prioritise the interests of the people they were elected to represent.
“The most important responsibility before you is to represent your constituents well,” Agbamuche-Mbu said.
The National Commissioner also reminded the winners of the expectations placed on them by voters and encouraged them to serve with diligence and commitment.
INEC further disclosed that Certificates of Return would also be presented to winners of other recently concluded elections, including the Zuru State Constituency election in Kebbi State and the governorship election in Ekiti State.
INEC said the presentation of the certificates followed the conclusion of the bye-elections conducted on June 20, 2026.
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