Drama as Edo assets recovery committee clashes with lawyers at tribunal

A mild drama unfolded on Wednesday at the 2024 Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Benin, as members of the state government’s Assets Recovery Committee attempted to recover a 32-seater coaster bus owned by the Edo State Government.

The bus, which reportedly conveyed counsels representing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the tribunal at the Edo High Court premises, was flagged by the committee as one of the assets allegedly taken by officials of the immediate past administration of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

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Earlier in the day, the committee tried to recover the vehicle but later reached an agreement with the lawyers, primarily senior counsels, allowing them to use the bus to return to their destinations. However, tensions escalated after the tribunal sitting, when committee members reneged on the agreement and sought to forcibly reclaim the bus.

The confrontation quickly degenerated into a heated altercation, culminating in fisticuffs between the bus occupants and committee members. The situation was eventually calmed by political stalwarts from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the PDP, who intervened to resolve the conflict.

Despite the chaos, the lawyers were later seen leaving the tribunal in the contested bus, bringing a dramatic end to the incident.

(NAN)