By Sebastine Ebhuomhan l Saturday, January 14, 2023
BENIN CITY, Edo, Nigeria – The opening paragraph of the above online report posted on the official website of the Governor of Edo State Government, Mr Godwin Obaseki and shared across different social media platforms by aides and officials of the governor, says all that has made this essay a brief commentary.
While it’s unfortunate that some of the most recent incidents of kidnapping in the state led to the death of citizens, it’s most unfortunate and painful that the genuine and commendable rescue effort spearheaded by the state command of the Nigerian Police Force to rescue one of the victims resulted to the death of an officer, DSP Michael Adams.
Ordinarily, the death of a citizen from any circumstance should cause some sincere soul searching and preventive solution. Not the less, a citizen, who died in the process of rescuing others. But Edo State Government has opted to play dirty politics over the sanctity of human life as can be seen from the contradictory post on Mr Governor’s website compared to the statement of the government’s Commissioner of Information, Christopher Nehikhare.
While the statement published on Obaseki’s website clearly and undeniably claimed that “The Edo State Government has commiserated with the family of DSP Michael Adams, who lost his life during a successful rescue operation of some of the victims of a kidnap incident at Igueben Local Government Area,” Mr Nehikhare counter-claimed that the police officer died naturally.
“I am here to correct that report that it was not true. He was one of those that led that operation and after the successful operation, he died through natural causes. He was not shot by bullets and he didn’t die at the scene of the operation. He was not fell by the bullets of the kidnappers,” the government spokesman claimed.
The big questions are: which department or agency of Edo State Government is lying and playing the usual dirty and shameless politics the failed People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-elected government of Mr Obaseki has become notorious for, this time; has any autopsy proved he died “naturally”; and is it not inhuman, evil and criminal for the state government to contradict itself on a highly perceptive issue such as the death in the line of duty of a courageous police officer that should be celebrated and rewarded to encourage others?
Governor Obaseki must know now that his government’s inability to present a coordinated, united and truthful communication and action to tackle insecurity in Edo State has the dangerous effects of inspiring more daring attacks by kidnappers or terrorists and demoralising future rescue efforts by our poorly-equipped and poorly-motivated police force.
By the way, the last time the governor publicly boasted, he told all that he has spent heavily on technology, which now allows Edo people to sleep with their eyes closed. But the spate of daring, tragic reported and unreported kidnappings and abductions in Edo State this new year alone and last year, debunk such claim as far-fetched, dubious and untruthful. It’s about time the government woke up to match actions with words and MOUs.
NB: Sebastine EBHUOMHAN, an awarded journalist from Edo State, writes for the people.
