A weekend report that came up on Independent Television (ITV) station, Edo State alleged that Reverend Father Peter Udo, a Catholic priest, last weekend got the beatings of his life, and the resultant effect led to a state of comatose. No thanks to the security aides attached to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State who were traced to the injustice.
The priest’s offence was that he refused to get off the road when Oshiomhole and his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fasola’s convoy drove along Amendokhian- Ugboha Road to commission it.
Udo, who hails from Ujogba, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, was said to have been on his way to his parish, St. Dennis Catholic Church, Ugboha, Esan Southeast, when he encountered the governor’s convoy.
A source close to the Catholic Diocese of Uromi disclosed that the priest is now receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital due to the heavy beating he received from the security aides of the governor.
According to the source, “It is true that one of our priests, Reverend Father Peter Udo, who is in charge of St. Dennis Catholic Church Parish in Ugboha was beaten into a state of coma by aides to Governor Oshiomhole along Amendokhian-Ugboha Road when he went to commission the road.
“From what we gathered, the offence of the priest was that he did not jump into the bush for the governor’s convoy to pass. He was humiliated even in his cassock. At the appropriate time, the Catholic Diocese of Uromi will react.”
When contacted on the phone, Reverend Father Stephen Okojie, Director, Benin Archdiocese Directorate of Communication, said he was yet to receive such information.
Also, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Peter Okhiria, denied the beating of any Catholic priest by the governor’s aides.
In his address, Okhiria said “We received with great shock the concocted news that was reported by Independent Television (ITV) owned by a PDP chieftain, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, stating that the governor’s aides beat up a reverend father at Ujogba.
According to him, “While we state that the governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, the governor, Adams Oshiomhole, is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith at many fora.
“The state deputy governor, Rt. Hon. Pius Odubu, is also a practising Catholic as well as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe, so it is not possible to treat a Catholic or any citizen for that matter, in such way.
