Okpebholo: No regrets asking Obi for security clearance, I lost my police orderly for ignoring advice

Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo says he has no regret asking former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi to notify him before visiting the state.

Okpebholo said this at the inauguration of the new Edo Line, a transport company owned by the Edo State Government, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.

The governor said the directive to Obi was an advice and should not be misinterpreted or taken out of context as a threat.

He disclosed that his own failure to heed such advice from the Commissioner of Police in 2024 led to the death of his police orderly.

Okpebholo said: “What I said was a simple advice. I told him not to visit Edo without informing me. As chief security officer, it’s a basic protocol.

“If asking him to notify me is considered a crime, so be it. I have no regrets.

“Let me not dwell on irrelevant matters. This is not important. To the people of Edo, our message and intention have already been made clear.

“I don’t understand their pain. Is it because I said they don’t have ‘shishi’? Didn’t they say they don’t have ‘shishi’?”

Okpebholo recalled being similarly advised by the commissioner of police in 2024, when he arrived Benin Airport, under former Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration.

The governor added: “The commissioner saw me and asked me to remain at the airport. I ignored him. At the gate, my police orderly was shot dead.

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“Inspector Akor Onu was killed before my very eyes. That painful experience still guides how I view security warnings and protocols to this very day.

“I’ve seen security reports. I’ve advised Obi. If he listens, good. If not, it’s his choice. It doesn’t concern me.”

Okpebholo, however, attributed the launch of the new Edo Line to the state’s improved federal allocation, which he said made the project possible.

Also speaking, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, supported Okpebholo’s stance on security protocols for high-profile Nigerians.

Wike, a guest of honour at the event, stressed that high-profile Nigerians, including Obi, must inform a state governor before visiting to ensure that adequate security measures were provided for their safety.

He explained that when Obi visited him in Rivers State during his tenure, the latter secured official clearance beforehand, respecting security protocols and standard procedures accordingly.

Wike expressed surprise that Obi failed to follow similar protocols when he visited Edo State, questioning why such a crucial step was skipped.

The Star