Benin City was thrown into turmoil on Tuesday when armed thugs raided the Edo State PDP Secretariat on Airport Road, causing panic among traders and shop owners who fled for safety.
Eyewitnesses described how the attackers arrived chanting war songs and firing shots into the air.
They wreaked havoc, tearing down banners and billboards outside the building before overpowering security personnel and forcing their way in.
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Once inside, the gang assaulted staff, stole valuables, and vandalized property.
They smashed doors and windows, ransacked offices, and made off with computers, printers, and large bags filled with files and documents.
Henry Duke Tenebe, the newly appointed Secretary of the PDP State Caretaker Committee, was reportedly trapped in his office during the ordeal.
“They said PDP is dead, so nobody should come here again or they will kill us next time,” said Ruth, an administrative officer at the secretariat. “They came looking for original copies of our election petition evidence, but they didn’t find any. All they took were photocopies and other documents.”
The attack occurs amid a heated legal dispute over the results of the September 21 gubernatorial election.
Leaders of the PDP have accused the APC of instigating the violence in an effort to intimidate opponents and undermine the party’s challenge at the election tribunal.
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Andrew Enantomhen, a PDP youth leader, called the attack a desperate move by APC supporters. “They have temporarily stolen our mandate and are now trying to cover their tracks. Why are they looking for documents? The case has already been filed in court. Justice will be served in Edo State,” he said.
He also issued a direct challenge to law enforcement: “Kapuepue is not above the law. We all saw the viral video of him brandishing a gun on this same Airport Road when a policeman was shot. Now he’s leading thugs to attack the PDP in broad daylight? The Inspector General of Police must act and bring this criminal to justice.”
Enantomhen also called on the police to restore order, cautioning that if the violence persists, the party’s supporters may be compelled to defend themselves.
The assault on the PDP Secretariat has raised alarms about the growing political violence in Edo State.
Observers warn that such incidents could damage the credibility of the state’s democratic processes and deepen divisions between opposing political parties.
Reacting to the incident, the Publicity Secretary of the Edo PDP Caretaker Committee, Chris Osa Nehikhare, said, “It is quite disappointing and unfortunate that the APC, on Thursday, mobilised thugs to attack our party Secretariat in their desperation to frustrate and halt efforts by our great party to reclaim the mandate duly given to it by the Edo people at the September 21 governorship election.
“If the APC are confident that they won the election free and square and have nothing to hide, why are they jittery and mobilising thugs to attack the PDP Secretariat?”
“The PDP remains resolute and will not be intimidated or deterred in its pursuit for justice and the restoration of our mandate.”
As nightfall settled over Airport Road, a sense of calm returned, but the damaged billboards and shattered windows at the secretariat stood as stark reminders of the day’s unrest—an unsettling prelude to the violence anticipated with the start of the Edo Governorship election petition tribunal.
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