Ethiope West LGA Chair Escapes Death, As Youths Abduct BEDC Officials, Policeman

Angry youths in Mosogar Community in Ethiope West Local Government Area in Delta state on Tuesday attacked the Chairman of the Council, Hon Oghenedoro Owoso over continuous blackout in the community and allegedly carting away 2-police riffles.

Advocate news reports that the irate youths also injured a policeman attached to the chairman and an aide to the chairman.

The youths who were said to be protesting 8- years of power blackout were also reported to have abducted two officials of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, for hours before security men stormed their hideout to set the staff free.

Recall that the people of Mosogar have been without electricity for the past eight years, leading to protest from the community in November last year and last month where thousands of residents trooped to the ever-busy Benin – Warri highway in protest by barricading the major highway for hours.

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However, trouble started this morning after some of the youths who probably were fed up with the endless promise from the community leaders to restore electricity to community, abducted two BEDC officials who were on patrol.

An eyewitness, Mr Anthony Akpotobor who witnessed the incident told our reporter that “after the officials were abducted, they tried to force them to fuse the light, the police was informed, and the Mosogar Divisional Police Officer, DPO, reached out to the chairman of the council, who in turn drove in to pacify them, that was when he was attacked.”

One of chairman aide, who spoke in confidence said that his boss passed through that route because he felt he could pacify them, “they attacked us and disarmed one of the policemen attached to the chairman and in the process, one of the chairman’s aide was shot and the mobile policeman was injured. Another aide to the Chairman and a mobile policeman was abducted and taken away to a shrine close to the river and they were about taking them with a boat through the river when security men came to rescue them.”

Hon Owoso, while confirming the attack told Advocate.ng that his car was shot.

“My brother, we should thank God, they are ways to push their grievances across, some of them have been arrested but let them bring the arms; everything is about dialogue that was why I went to appeal to them, so that we can collectively map out a way so that they can have light,” he said.

At the time of filling in this story, security men were seen patrolling the agrarian community while the busy streets in the community remained empty.