Benin City — Controversy last night trailed the alleged attack on the Edo State governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Olumide Akpata as he accused a senior official of the state government of masterminding what transpired on Friday afternoon at the University of Benin Senior Staff Club.
But the leadership of the Students Union Government (SUG) of the university said the visit of Akpata to the University was ambiguous as there was no proper communication and that his visit brought students to the Staff Club which was not meant for students.
They also alleged that some lecturers were involved in the incident.
Akpata said as a guest at an interactive session organised by the University of Benin Staff Club, was violently interrupted which caused a crisis within the school premises.
In a viral video released on Saturday, Akpata said a senior lecturer who sustained injury as a result of the attack is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Benin.
He also debunked allegations that his security personnel shot a student on the campus, noting that nothing like that happened.
He said, "My staff drew my attention to a video that is making the rounds currently of an individual who claimed to be shot at an event I attended on Friday and claimed to have been shot by my security agent.
"I looked at the video, and nothing could be farther from the truth. I only wished that the individual could show his face to determine the veracity of his story.
"I was invited to the University of Benin Senior Staff Club to hold an interactive session with members of the club. I'm told that a similar event took place a couple of weeks ago by the PDP candidate. To our surprise and consternation, this event was interrupted very rudely by some hoodlums who claimed to be students of the University of Benin.
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.."They disrupted the event, insisting that it shouldn't be held without informing them. You can imagine how shocked we were, including the professors there. They barricaded the gate with their vehicles, there was a fracas in the precinct of the club, and a lecturer was injured and he is at the hospital.
"I had to be taken away by security personnel, and even as we attempted to leave UNIBEN, the highway was barricaded. It took my security personnel to remove the barricade before we continued our journey.
"We know what is going on. It is election season, and it is quite obvious that some of our old and very tired politicians are up to their usual antics and have learned nothing.
"I have it on good authority that those hoodlums were deployed by a senior official of the Edo State government, and I'm speaking directly to this official now. I know you, and you know me.
Akpata added, "I want to place it on record that at no time was a student of the University of Benin shot. The video was done to bring misinformation, I was the one who was attacked alongside the professor.
A statement by the SUG President, King Lemuel and Secretary, Eriamiatoe Miracle of the university frowned against using " students as a means of campaign"
The SUG claimed that the union was never informed about the interactive session involving the Labour Party candidate and added that the school security was not aware of any authorisation for such a meeting.
