Three soldiers of the Nigerian Army attached to Okomu Oil Palm Plc, in Ovia South West Local Government Area, were last Friday shot by gunmen in Edo State.
This was made known by the Edo State Government through the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare,
This is coming on the heels of the ban on Okhaigeles (youth leaders) in the seven Local Government Areas that make up Edo South Senatorial District.
The ban of the Okhaigeles had led to a dispute between the state government and the Palace of the Oba of Benin.
While the state government insisted that the ban won’t be reversed, the Palace of the Oba of Benin insisted that the Okhaigeles are part of the traditional institutions of the Benin Kingdom and cannot be banned by the government.
Giving reasons for the ban, the state government stated that “some so-called youths” on Friday, June 7, 2024, opened fire on three men of the Nigerian Army attached to Okomu Oil Palm Plc. in Ovia South West Local Government Area.
Nehikhare said the soldiers were injured thereby throwing the community into chaos.
He vowed that in the coming weeks, government would embark on a largs-scale operation to fish out the evil doers and neutralize their threat against public peace.
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