Police arrest 6 for attempting to overthrow union’s exco in Edo

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested six suspects over alleged conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and attempt to overthrow tipper drivers’ chairman in Edo State.

Parading the suspects: Osaro Aigbekean, Akugue Kenneth Eromonsele (47), Osaro Urji (21), Humphery Emo (34), Frank Ovensere Aghemien (45) and Okosun Alaba (24), the command’s spokesperson, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, said they were arrested following threats to life, conducts likely to cause breach of peace and the planned illegal overthrow of the Chairman of the Edo State Tipper Drivers’ Association, Comrade Austin Nosa Uhunmwangho.

He explained that on October 18, the police received a distress call that the suspects stormed the office of the chairman at Ikpoba Slope, Benin City, to cause mayhem.

He said, “The police swung into action and arrested the principal suspects and recovered from them one pump action gun, one tipper truck and six rounds of live cartridges.”

• Senate to TETFund: We’ll monitor utilisation of your funds
• Appeal Court sacks Senate minority leader, orders rerun

He said the suspects had made statements confessing to the crime.

But in an interview with journalists, one of the suspects, Osaron, denied the allegations, saying they were at work when the police came and arrested them.

He said, “It is not about overthrowing, but the issue of tenure. I contested with the chairman in 2019 and his tenure was supposed to have elapsed October 19, 2023, but suddenly, he changed the constitution to a five-year single tenure in January. We disagreed because before amending the constitution, you must get two third majority; this was not done.

“The chairman suspended over 100 of us since June this year for saying the right thing must be done. We went to court and got a judgement, he refused to comply. Last week we protested to the House of Assembly which sat on the matter and asked us to resume work; which he is well aware of.

“We went to work this morning but the police came and arrested us, saying we wanted to overthrow the chairman. We were not arrested with any gun as claimed by the police.”