The Edo State government demolished the security post at the residence of former Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, on Sunday.
Officials of the Edo State Network and members of the Public Works Volunteers in the Government Reservation Area, Benin, took this action.
Shaibu, who was impeached last Monday by the Edo State House of Assembly over allegations of leaking official secrets and perjury, has seen his privileges swiftly rescinded following the impeachment.
The demolition is part of a series of repercussions Shaibu faced after his removal from office. The Assembly’s decision was based on the findings of a seven-man panel set up by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa.
Governor Godwin Obaseki has since appointed Marvellous Omobayo as the new deputy governor, further solidifying Shaibu’s exit from the state’s executive.
Naija News understands that Shaibu has challenged his impeachment in court, claiming his removal was an act of persecution for his aspirations to succeed Governor Obaseki.
The demolished security post, which was located adjacent to a golf course and shared the same fence with Shaibu’s residence, served as a temporary shelter and checkpoint for the former deputy governor’s security details.
With his removal from office, the justification provided by a senior member of one of the agencies involved, who requested anonymity in a chat with Punch, was that Shaibu, now a private citizen, no longer warrants such official privileges.
The state Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Eta Uzamere, responded to inquiries about the demolition, stating that the exercise was not linked to his ministry.
He said, “I have seen some online reports linking my ministry to the demolition of the former deputy governor’s security and I can tell you it had nothing to do with my ministry.”
An aide to Shaibu said, “As I am talking to you, they have destroyed Shaibu’s security outpost. The place was not built by the government, it was built by Shaibu himself. You can see how wicked the state government is.”