A United Kingdom-based supporter of former Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, Albert Obazee, has lamented a fire outbreak that gutted his house in Amagba, Benin City.
Naijaonpoint reports that he alleged that the incident was an act of arson carried out by agents of the state government.
Obazee said the fire occurred during the New Year’s crossover night on Wednesday.
Speaking during a Facebook live stream on Thursday, he described the alleged attackers as “children of hate and anger who cannot build but only destroy.”
Obazee insisted that the incident would not silence him, saying he would continue to speak on issues despite advice that he should keep a low profile.
“I am sure the thugs who came are loyal to the state government. They are not comfortable with the truth I say online, but this attack will not make me stop,” he said.
“They just want to destroy. They are children of hate, children of anger, who cannot build but destroy.”
During the live broadcast, a phone call from a resident of the house revealed that the CCTV cameras could not capture the faces of the attackers because they operated from a blind spot.
The caller added that swift action by occupants helped to put out the fire, preventing the building from being completely destroyed.
Obazee questioned the motive behind the alleged attack, saying those responsible only succeeded in threatening residents.
“Just a simple discussion, they resort to burning houses. You people will only render those living in the house homeless. Can you burn the land?” he asked.
He also suggested that the attackers were unaware of his other properties, adding that he would not stay in the Amagba house if he returned to Nigeria.
A government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, dismissed Obazee’s claims, saying the state government had more important concerns than burning an individual’s property.
“It is absurd to think that the state government will burn the house of an individual. What purpose would that serve?” the official told The PUNCH, calling on the police to investigate the incident and apprehend those responsible.
Efforts to reach the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, were unsuccessful as of press time.
Obazee, a known loyalist of Obaseki, has been at loggerheads with both the state government and the Oba of Benin Palace since the end of Obaseki’s tenure.
He was attacked at an event last year, while a palace chief reportedly delivered a letter to him at his residence in the UK—an incident that further escalated tensions. A police officer was said to have intervened to calm the situation after Obazee accused the chief of acting on behalf of the palace and the state government.