By Ogochukwu Isioma
Suspected political thugs allegedly loyal to Barr. Julius Abure, former National Chairman of the Labour Party, have attacked a prominent Edo-based human rights activist, Precious Oruche, at the Benin Airport.
Miss Oruche, popularly known as Mama Pee, is a staunch supporter of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, a former ally of Abure.
The incident occurred on Saturday morning at the airport premises.
Trending videos seen by this online medium show one of Mama Pee’s eyes swollen, with what appears to be bloodstains also visible on the airport floor near the arrival hallway.
Narrating her ordeal, the activist said she had boarded the same commercial flight to Benin with Abure and confronted the former party chairman over his alleged mismanagement of the Labour Party’s affairs.
She accused Abure of mobilizing his supporters to the Benin Airport to physically attack and inflict bodily harm on her over the confrontation.
“I saw Julius Abure, and I told him that ‘you are the one destroying the lives of Nigerians,’ and then he brought thugs to harass me… look at them ooo,” Mama Pee said, directing her camera at the suspected thugs during an Instagram Live broadcast.
“I saw Julius Abure of Labour Party inside the Max Air flight, and I told him, ‘you are the one destroying the lives of Nigerians… you sold Labour Party,’ and then he called his thugs to wait for me at the airport.”
Pointing at some of the suspected thugs being restrained on the airport grounds, Mama Pee continued: “The other one hit me in the eye; that one said he was going to shoot me. I have it on camera.”
In a live telephone conversation with one of her contacts, who had offered to mobilize supporters to the airport following the attack, Mama Pee vowed to continue holding politicians accountable.
“There is no need. Anywhere I see any dirty politician, I will keep on embarrassing them… until they kill me, they will not have peace. Julius Abure will destroy Labour Party and then carry thugs and wait for people that question him,” she said.
Watch video
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPGc3VajKxh/?igsh=MTJ4M2s1c3dreDNzZQ==
Meanwhile, in a separate video released by friends and associates of the injured activist while giving an update on the attack, they confirmed that the incident had been reported to the Edo State Police Command in Benin City.
They, however, expressed displeasure that Mama Pee was being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for hours under the guise of obtaining statements from her.
The associates alleged that one John Abure, believed to be a brother of Julius Abure, led the attack and also smashed Mama Pee’s iPhone 14 Pro Max in the presence of airport security personnel.
They are now demanding justice, including the arrest of the Abures and the suspected political thugs behind the attack, as well as the unconditional release of Mama Pee. They also called on Nigerians to join in the fight for justice.
“Today, it is Mama Pee; tomorrow, it can be you or anybody. The law is meant to protect the weak from the strong. But what we have today is the law being used against the weak by the strong.”
The concerned citizens, made up of members of civil society organizations and the Obidient Movement, therefore called on all Labour Party supporters in Edo State to show solidarity, adding: “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
The update
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPG_WjeCHBn/?igsh=a2FhdXVzdjlzcnlx
