One of the traders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the loss could have been more if not for the efforts of people who lived near the market who put out the fire.

She stated that the fire started from a wire in one of the shops, which caught fire when electricity was restored.

She said, “The fire started at about 10.45am when a wire sparked after electricity was restored. More traders were saved from incurring huge financial losses as neighbours trooped out to put out the fire. “As a trader in the market, I commend the efforts of neighbours who came out to put out the fire. The loss could have been more. However, 10 shops, with goods worth millions of naira were lost because most of the traders just bought the goods to sell during the festive period.

A lecturer at Ambrose Ali University, Prof. Jude Obasanmi, said it was disheartening that there was no presence of fire service, wondering why Benin City is the only place where the fire service operates.

Giving his account of the incident, Obasanmi said a lady in the market who came to make some sales set some refuse on fire and left which spread to the shops and burnt them.

He said, “A lady came to her shop around Aburime Street to make some sales. After some sales, she gathered some refuse and started burning them. She did not wait to see the end but left and the fire spread to other areas.”

When our correspondent called the control room of the Edo State Fire Service for the cause of the fire and efforts made to put it out, an officer gave the reporter the number of another officer in Ekpoma. Several attempts to speak to the officer proved abortive as the number was switched off.

It was, however, gathered that only one firefighting truck was available in the state and it was stationed at Ring Road, Benin.

Oshiomhole’s confession comes barely two years after he clashed with the incumbent governor during the electioneering campaign for his second term ticket.

The feud consequently compelled Obaseki to defect from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party, despite efforts put up by some stakeholders to resolve their differences.

The governor would later seek re-election on the platform of the PDP where he defeated Oshiomhole’s anointed candidate and the APC governorship flagbearer, Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Despite the media war waged by camps of Obaseki and Oshiomhole, both politicians were always in their best behaviour every time they ran into each at public functions.

This was also evident at the birthday thanksgiving of Nigeria’s oldest Catholic priest, Most Rev. Monsignor Thomas Oleghe, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Auchi, last year.

Addressing journalists after the event, Obaseki disclosed that he held no grudge against his predecessor, but only disagreed with his style of politics.

I don’t have anything personal against Oshiomhole. I may not like his politics, but he has not done anything personal against me. We all are interacting with the interest of the country and the development of our community at heart,” he said.

In an interview with The PUNCH on Friday, Oshiomhole told our correspondent that Obaseki remained his close brother and friend despite their reported frosty relationship.

The two-term governor of Edo State also affirmed that he still had fond memories of their time together.

He said, “For me, I have moved on. Obaseki remains my brother and friend. I have had the honour of working with him and God in his infinite power used me to ensure that he became the governor of Edo State.

“Sometimes, God wants us to know that He is the only one that is all-knowing. He is the only one who knows the beginning and the end. When, as human beings, everything seems to add up, we celebrate our intellect. But sometimes, God intervenes just for us to know that we don’t know it all and it is meant to remind us of our limited knowledge of life. He remains my brother and friend.

“When I was governor and he worked under me, my relationship with him was not that of boss and subordinate. He was one of the very few who called me by my nickname. When we travelled together on foreign trips, we didn’t book different suites in a hotel. Instead we shared the same suite in a hotel but slept in separate rooms. That’s how close we were.”

In the suit numbered NICN/BEN/04/2022, dated June 22, 2022, the AAU chapter of the ASUU accused the management of the institution of contempt of court orders of February 2  and May 17, 2022, mandating the payment of January and February 2022 salaries of some members of ASUU, who were aggrieved by the biometric verification exercise.

The plaintiffs in the suit, alongside ASUU, were the Chairman, ASUU, AAU Ekpoma chapter, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele, and the Assistant Secretary, Dr. William Odion, against six defendants in the suit including the acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Asomwan Adagbonyin, and the acting Registrar, Mr. Ambrose Odiase.

Counsel to the claimants, Abayomi Thomas, in the suit, cited, ‘‘Motion on notice brought pursuant to Order 63, Rules 5 (1), 5(3), and 6 of the National Industrial Court Rules 2017,’’ and sought the intervention of the court to institute contempt proceedings against the management and subsequent reliefs to be granted to the plaintiffs as deemed fit by the court.

Recently, the AAU branch of ASUU and the management of the state-owned university have been at loggerheads over the suspension of union activities by the latter.

Edo State Government at its State Executive Council meeting on June 8, 2022, suspended all union activities across all state-owned institutions of higher learning, which was swiftly contested in court by ASUU.

The plaintiffs, Dr. Cyril Onogbosele and Dr. William Odion had asked the court to determine whether the state government and other defendants in the suit had the power under section 40 of the Constitution and section 35(3) of the Trade Unions Act, to suspend or prohibit trade union activities in AAU.

The claimants, therefore, urged the court to declare the ban as “unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and same is ultra vires the powers of the defendants.”

The Edo State Government at its State Executive Council meeting, on June 8, 2022, suspended all union activities across all state-owned institutions of higher learning.

The Ambrose Alli University branch of ASUU, in a suit filed against the governor at the National Industrial Court sitting in Benin, argued that the suspension of union activities by the governor, was unconstitutional, null and void, and beyond the powers of the defendants.

Also joined in the suit are the state government and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state.

The plaintiffs, Dr Cyril Onogbosele and Dr William Odion, asked the court to determine whether the state government and other defendants in the suit, have the power under Section 40 of the Constitution and Section 35(3) of the Trade Unions Act, to suspend or prohibit trade union activities in AAU.

The claimants, therefore, urged the court to declare the ban as “unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and same is ultra vires the powers of the defendants.”

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media Projects, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, the governor said the mindless act tilted the scale in the nation’s war against terror.

He said, “I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on innocent people in St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which led to the gruesome killing of many, including women and children.This mindless act committed in a church where many gathered to seek spiritual solace and worship God has tilted the scale in our nation’s war against terror. I commiserate with families that lost loved ones in this act of shame which has never before been heard of in the history of Owo, a quiet and peaceful town with inextricable ties with the people of Edo State.I also express my condolences to my colleague, the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, as well as all the people of Ondo State. Let me assure you all that in this dark and desperate time in our history as one people separated by a very intangible geographical boundary, you are not alone. You can count on our prayers, support, and cooperation as we all wade through this tough time together, as we take steps to ensure that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are apprehended and that this cowardly act of terror is never perpetrated in our land ever again. Please accept my most heartfelt condolences.”

Obaseki gave the assurance while declaring open a five-day free medical outreach for over 4,000 residents, in collaboration with the Association of Nigeria Physicians in the Americas.

The beneficiaries during the five-day medical mission are to receive surgical interventions and treatments for heart, kidney, eye and other ailments.

Obaseki said, “For the thousands of those who are going to get care from the team, we expect that you should know that this is not a one-off service. When they are gone, we expect that you should continue to come to the centres where you got care to follow up.

The Nigerian professionals who are working with them are going to continue to be here; come for your follow-ups. The disease that kills people does not start in one day and kill them in one day; it takes time. So, we encourage people to patronize our health care centres.

“We are going to continue to connect with our ANPA members abroad through telemedicine for them to continue to provide care for us. This mission is aimed at providing top of the range and critical medical services to ordinary Edo citizens.Nobody is going to come from anywhere in the world to treat us or give us care. We have to do it ourselves and we’re lucky that some of the best people providing care for us around the world are our own children.

All we can do as a government is to encourage them to come and give back some of the knowledge and care which they are giving to the rest of the world. This mission is part of the agenda to reverse brain drain.”

On her part, the initiator of the programme and Edo First Lady, Betsy Obaseki stated, “This free medical outreach would touch thousands of lives; there are people who would have been dead if not for this programme.We have the best physicians and medical experts from around the world right here to provide care for our people. So, let’s take advantage of this and make the best of this,” she charged.

In his contribution, the President of ANPA, Dr Christopher Okunseri, described healthcare as a right of citizens, pledging to work with the state government to deliver on its mandate of providing quality healthcare to citizens.

Speaking in an interview with journalists, the spokesperson of the state police command, Bello Kontongs, said the police officer was abducted along the Auchi – Ekperi-Agenebode road on November 26.

”We want to confirm to the public that the DPO of Fuga division in the Edo state police command, CSP Ishaq Ibrahim Aliu, was on 26 November 2021, at about 6.20pm, traveling along Ekperi-Agenebode road, in company of his orderly, one Sergeant Aliu.

Reaching a crossroad, some hoodlums accosted them in their private vehicle. They were not on duty. They went on a private visit and as they were coming back, they were accosted and attacked. Immediately, they whisked the DPO into the bush while the orderly, Sergeant Aliu, managed to escape and he reported the matter to Agenebode police division where the DPO mobilised operatives and they are currently on a rescue operation.

By God’s grace, the Commissioner is doing everything possible to ensure that he is rescued unhurt”he said

Bello said the family is yet to inform the command that the abductors have contacted them and are demanding a N50 million ransom.

According to reports, Ishaq was travelling with his orderly on Friday evening, November 26, when they were attacked by the kidnappers.

A source close to the police said the kidnappers are demanding an N50 million ransom for his release.

The source said “He was coming from Agenebode to Fugar and he passed through Ekperi Road and they were attacked. He was kidnapped but his orderly escaped and the kidnappers have made contact this morning and they are demanding N50m. The incident happened around 6;30 pm on Friday.”

The state police command is yet to comment on this development. Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Philip Ogbadu has ordered immediate deployment of men of the Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime unit, men of the Tactical and Strike teams of the state Police Command to move to the area to rescue the DPO unhurt as vigilante groups had already entered the bushes to rescue the officer.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Kontongs Bello said the travellers were rescued in the bush after the police received credible information from the public.

The suspected kidnappers, on noticing the team of operatives in their den, hurriedly abandoned the victims and escaped into the thick forest. It was gathered that the kidnap victims were all rescued unhurt.

Bello said “Acting on credible information from members of the public that a luxurious bus belonging to a private company travelling from one of the eastern states to Abuja had been intercepted by a group of hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers and taken to the bush, in the Okpella area of Edo state, the DPO Okpella divisional headquarters, CSP Kolawole Aremu, immediately swung into action by mobilising his team from Okpella division, and local vigilantes for immediate bush combing. The suspected kidnappers, on noticing the team of operatives in their den, hurriedly abandoned the victims and escaped into the thick forest. The nine kidnapped victims were all rescued unhurt. They were advised to continue their journey after profiling them.”

The Tribunal dismissed the suit challenging Governor Obaseki’s victory in the September poll in a unanimous ruling delivered on Thursday in Benin City, the state capital.

Justice Chukwudi Nwakwo delivered the ruling in the presence of the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Abdulrazak Abdulkareem, and the third judge, Justice Josephine Ayua.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which Governor Obaseki sought re-election, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which declared the governor as the winner, were joined as respondents to the petition.

When the case was called, the counsel to the petitioners, Steven Osaigbovo, was not present in court.

In its ruling, the Tribunal held that in the petition against the first and second respondents, the petitioners failed to file the pre-hearing notice.

As a result, it ruled that the petitioners were deemed to have abandoned the petition and, thereafter, dismissed the suit.

Similarly, in the petition against the third respondent, the Tribunal held that the pre-hearing notice was not filed within time by the petitioners.

It, therefore, went ahead to dismiss the petition.

Recall that INEC had issued a returned certificate to Governor Obaseki and Deputy Governor Shaibu elected after they were declared winner the electoral umpire on September 19.

The governor polled 307,955 of the total votes, 84,336 more votes than his closest rival Ize-Iyamu who got 223, 619 votes.