Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have detained Julius Abure, the embattled National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), in Benin City. Abure’s arrest, which took place on Wednesday, stems from accusations of premeditated attempted murder and other alleged infractions.

The arrest was prompted by a petition submitted by the LP Youth Leader, Comrade Eragbe Anselm Aphimia, to the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, dated February 13. In the petition, Aphimia detailed a harrowing encounter on December 29, 2023, alleging a calculated act of violence against him.

According to Aphimia, he and his delegation arrived in Benin City as part of an official mission to organize party congresses and oversee nomination processes. However, upon their arrival, they were misled by a woman named Mrs. Mary Okheime Newberry, who purported to provide transportation and accommodation on behalf of unidentified “stakeholders.”

Unbeknownst to them, Newberry’s hospitality concealed a malevolent scheme. Aphimia recounted being lured into an ambush just outside their lodging, where he and his colleague, Mr. Patrick Anethua, were viciously assaulted by a waiting mob.

Credit: Vanguard