The crisis in Edo State took another dimension last Saturday when an explosion rocked a mini estate belonging to the a former Secretary to the Edo State Government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, on Denis Osadebey Way in Benin, the state capital.
It was learnt that the explosion, which occurred at about 10.30pm, was caused by an improvised explosive device planted at the entrance of the estate housing some rented apartments and Shalom Dental Clinic said to belong to the wife of the former SSG.
Although no life was reportedly lost, the impact of the blast created a small hole and shattered the ceiling of the security post, while the gate of the building, located a few distance from the Government House, was partly damaged.
Our correspondent gathered that the IED comprised an electric wire connected to two Tiger batteries of 1.5 volts each bound with a masking tape.
Confirming the incident, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, said that preliminary investigation showed that the device was thrown into the mini estate from outside.
He also disclosed that the IED had been recovered by the Bomb Disposal Unit for analysis while “some suspects” had been arrested.
While urging politicians in the state to put the interest of the citizens above their personal interest, Adebanjo stated that the command would continue to campaign against violence ahead of the 2015 general elections.
But Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who is also a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, has alleged that the state government and the All Progressives Congress was responsible for the incident.
Ize-Iyamu, who claimed that his wife was the target of the blast, said that he had faced criticisms from the both the APC and the state government since he decamped from the party (APC).
“Last night at about 10:40 pm I got a text from of the tenants there saying that a bomb has been thrown into my wife’s clinic, so I immediately called a tenant who told me what just happened.
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