Edo foils arson attempt on secretariat, evacuates stormwater contract documents  

Edo State Government has disclosed that it deployed security operatives to safeguard its secretariat also known as Palm House, in Benin City, the state capital.

This followed intelligence reports of an arson attempt on the offices of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, with a view to destroying critical documents of the N30b Benin Stormwater Project.

Governor Godwin Obaseki had during an inspection of the Textile Mill Road catchment of the stormwater project on Monday morning vowed to set up a panel to investigate how money meant for the project was spent, decrying that the project was conceived by the previous administration in the state to defraud Edo people.

In a statement issued in Benin City yesterday, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Osarodion Ogie, reassured that the government would ensure that it uncovered details of the project and its execution, insisting that those culpable would be prosecuted.

“Following the state government’s commitment to probe the Benin Stormwater Project, the state received intelligence of a possible arson on the offices of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, where vital documents on the project were stored.

“The government immediately deployed security operatives to guard the premises of the Ministry overnight to protect its assets. We have successfully evacuated these vital documents to a safe location to ensure their integrity and in readiness for a probe.

“Government will ensure that it uncovers the details surrounding the project and its execution and also assure that all those culpable are brought to justice.”