Hoodlums suspected to be political thugs on Wednesday night reportedly attacked the Edo State secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), attempting to set the facility ablaze.

In a viral video shared on social media, a man narrating the incident alleged that the attackers attempted to burn down the secretariat before fleeing the scene.

It was gathered that the attackers shattered windows and damaged other items in the building located on Ogbelaka Street, Benin City, after they were unable to set it on fire due to resistance from residents of the area.

The state chairman of the ADC, Kennedy Odion, confirmed the incident, saying the suspected thugs intended to set the building ablaze.

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He said, “They destroyed all the windows and other items in the building before ADC sympathisers in the area came to the rescue.”

Odion alleged that the attackers came with a 10-litre container of fuel, insisting that their intention was to burn down the secretariat.

According to him, “Some politicians want the ADC to leave the state so that no other political party will contest the 2027 election with them.”

“Elections are a democratic process that requires participation by all. There is freedom of association, which is still in force, and nobody can be forced to join a political party of another person’s choice,” he added.

He said the incident had been reported to security agencies, urging them to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, Eno Ikoedem, said the attack was reported to the police at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

She said police operatives were immediately mobilised to the scene to restore normalcy, adding that a preliminary assessment revealed malicious damage to party flags and two shattered windows at the premises.

According to her, security has been deployed to the area to prevent further attacks, while investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible. (Daily Trust)

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