Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has announced the indefinite suspension of the Public Safety Response Team (PSRT), which is headed by Kelly Okungbowa.
This was stated in an announcement by the Secretary to the State Government, Umar Ikhilor.
“It is hereby announced for the information of the General Public that the Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo has ordered the indefinite suspension of the Public Safety Response Team (PSRT) headed by Kelly Okungbowa,” Ikhilor said on Friday.
“This decision is occasioned by several complaints received by the State Government on allegations of extortion, harassment and unruly behaviour by members of the Team.”
He restated the government’s committment to upholding law and order and “will not tolerate any deviation from the original purpose for which the Team was set up, which is to help maintain public order, assist in protecting public infrastructure and curb illegal activities like street trading and illegal parking in our communities”.
The Secretary to the State Government stated that a comprehensive evaluation of the team’s structure and operations, especially its recruitment procedures and personnel training, will be carried out to ensure that all government-approved activities in the state meet the highest standards.
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A two-year-old girl was tragically killed on Wednesday evening when a commercial bus driver lost control of his vehicle after officers from the Edo State Public Safety Response Team (PSRT) grabbed his steering wheel at Ring Road, Benin City.
An eyewitness at the scene recounted the chaotic struggle between the driver and two PSR officers.
The witness, who wished to remain anonymous, said the officers tried to seize the steering wheel of the moving bus, causing the driver to lose control.
The bus swerved off the road and struck a roadside Point of Sale (PoS) kiosk where the young girl and her mother were standing, instantly killing the child.
The witness also described how the impact threw the mother and child against the concrete slabs.
A furious crowd at the scene reportedly attacked the PSR officers, before taking them, along with the child’s body, to a nearby police station.
In the meantime, the Edo PDP has criticized Okpebholo’s action as laughable, claiming that the governor is addressing only the symptoms rather than the root cause of the issue.
“This latest suspension over allegations of extortion, harassment, and unruly behavior, marks the fourth in a litany of suspensions that have besieged the Okpebholo administration in just three months in office, including the State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Samson Osagie, and the Commissioner for Local Government Service Commission, Damian Lawani, both of whom were axed for ‘grave financial infractions’,” the Publicity Secretary, Edo PDP Caretaker Committee Chris Osa Nehikhare.
“Unfortunately for Okpebholo, these suspensions are mere symptoms of the real problem. The real problem is that he is sitting on an illegitimate mandate.”
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