Benin Protest Face-off: PUWOV Apologizes to Civil Societies, Former Attorney-General

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By Lucky Isibor.


The management and staff of Edo State Public Works Volunteers Scheme (PUWOV) has formerly tendered unreserved apologies to the person of the former Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Dr Osagie Obayuwana and  the entire members of Civil Society family in Edo State over the encounter between some PUWOV members and the activists at the New Benin axis of the state capital on Monday, 31 May.


In a statement issued by the Coordinator, Edo State Public Works Volunteers scheme (PUWOV), Muktar Yusuf-Osagie, the government agency said "our attention has been drawn to a video clip trending on the social media wherein some of our officials were involved in an encounter with some Civil Society Actors and Human Rights Activists( Edo State branch)who were on a protest March at the New Benin area of Benin-city.

 "As a very responsible Agency of government in resonance with Mr Governor's belief in the Rule of Law and respect for citizens' rights, we indeed regret whatever may have transpired on that said date which was occasioned by a distress call received by our intelligence unit to the effect that some suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) were gathering around the New Benin area to disrupt the peace of the area. In a bid to be proactive and prevent any possible breakdown of law and order in the area, it is believed that our officials on duty who were ordinarily acting in good faith, may have overzealously acted in an unprofessional manner, not minding the laid-down mode of operations of the agency.

  "As a law-abiding agency, we condemn the actions of these officials, in strong terms, and tender our unreserved apology to the entire members of these bodies in general and most expecially, our very revered Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, a foremost human rights activist, a former Attorney-General of Edo State and a very distinguished legal practitioner, who we hold in high esteem", the statement said.

 It would be recalled that members of the Civil Societies in Edo State joined their counterparts all over Nigeria on a peaceful national march to protest the state of insecurity in the country which later led to a face off between the protesters and some officials of PUWOV.

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