Francis Ogbuagu 
The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those allegedly responsible for the brutal killing of Inspector Akor Onuh, a police orderly attached to Senator Monday Okpebholo, during a violent clash near the Benin Airport on July 18, 2024.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday and signed by the Edo APC Chairman, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, the party accused the state government of shielding the perpetrators of the crime, describing the silence surrounding the case as a “growing conspiracy” and a “deliberate obstruction of justice.”
According to the statement, the APC linked 15 individuals, many of whom reportedly attended a recent factional Edo PDP stakeholders’ meeting held on April 24, 2025, to the murder of Inspector Onuh.
The party claimed these individuals were part of armed non-state actors allegedly sponsored by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration.
“It is no coincidence that 15 individuals who attended the PDP stakeholders’ meeting… are the very same faces linked to the brutal murder of Inspector Onuh,” the statement read.
“These individuals have now resurfaced, attempting to rebrand themselves as political stakeholders when they are in fact complicit in a crime that has shaken the conscience of Edo people.”
The party further alleged that the suspects are currently being harboured in the residences of top Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders and accused the police of failing to act due to political interference.
The APC called on the Inspector General of Police to launch an immediate investigation and ensure that all those linked to the incident are arrested and prosecuted, warning that continued inaction would amount to a betrayal of the police’s mandate to protect citizens and uphold the law.
“The Police must not allow political influence to override the rule of law. Those who killed Inspector Onuh must be brought to justice without further delay,” Tenebe stated.
“If the Police continue to fail in this regard, the APC in Edo State will explore all lawful avenues to ensure that justice is served.”
He also emphasized the party’s resolve to pursue justice for the late inspector and his family, warning that failure to act decisively would pose a threat to democracy and security in Edo State and beyond.
