A media aide to Asue Ighodalo, the PDP gubernatorial aspirant sponsored by Governor Godwin Obaseki in the Edo 2024 election has been declared wanted by the police authorities, in connection with a case of physical assault against Dr. Osaro Onaiwu, a PDP gubernatorial aspirant.
Tony Ehilebo a media aide to Mr. Ighodalo is alleged to be an accomplice in the criminal case of physical assault brought by Dr. Onaiwu through a petition by his lawyers to the Nigerian Police.
One of the political thugs who attacked Onaiwu, who is also a former Director General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum, at the National Working Committee Stakeholders meeting with Edo State leaders on the 14th December, in Abuja has been arrested and presently in Police custody.
Other members of the gang, including Mr. Ehilebo are said to be at large. According to the complainant, Dr Onaiwu, the thugs allegedly belong to Mr Asue Ighodalo, one of the PDP aspirant for the party’s ticket.
The arrested suspect who has been allegedly identified as the gang leader, goes by the name – Roland Adih. Midwest Herald was told that he has made some useful statements to the police, including identifying Tony Ehilebo as one of his accomplices.
His arrest is sequel to a petition written by lawyers to Earl Onaiwu for assault and threat to life he suffered in the hands of the marauding violent sect. Onaiwu is a leading aspirant for Edo 2024 governorship election on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the petition that is addressed to the Inspector General of Police, the law firm of Emmanuel O. Chur and Co wrote: “Re: Complaint of Criminal Force and Assault, Criminal Intimidation and Joint Act against Adih Rowland, Tony Ehilebo and many others.
“We are solicitors to Chief Earl Osaro Onaiwu our client who has briefed us and given us definite instructions to bring this complaint to your office thus:
“That on the 14th day of December 2023, at about 2:30pm, one Mr Adih Rowland and Tony Ehihebor led a group of other persons and stopped our client from leaving the premises of the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party under serious threat and intimidation that they will never allow our client to achieve his political aspiration in the politics of Edo State.
“That they were going to pursue him and continue pursuing him wherever he goes in order to ensure he does not succeed in his political aspiration in Edo State. “That our client had attempted to free himself from the assailants but was strongly restrained by the duo of Adih Rowland and Tony Ehilebo who urged on other numerous group of persons to harass and embarrass our client in the full glare of members of the public.
“It took the intervention of the chief security officer of the PDP, Mr Yerima and his men to wrestle our client from the stranglehold of the assailants before our client could leave the premises.”
The PDP governorship aspirant, Earl Osaro Onaiwu is therefore asking the police to fish out his attackers in order to face justice. As at the time of going to the press, all attempts to reach Mr. Ighodalo to confirm his relationship with the said Tony Ehilebo and others in police net proved abortive.
