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DSS Arrests Ex-LG Chairman Ojo Asein For 'Kidnapping' APC Lawmaker

One of the APC state officials delegated to conduct the primary election, who asked not to be named, told our correspondent that Asein and his thugs chased them away from the local government headquarters, the venue of the primary at Sabogida-Ora, until they sought refuge in the house of former Deputy Governor, Rev. Peter Obadan.

Hon. Ojo Asein, the former transition Chairman of Owan West Local Government Council of Edo State and a serving member of the Edo State House of Assembly, has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in connection with the kidnapping of Hon. Ohiro Ezomon. 

DSS operatives hinted our correspondent that Asein has numerous questions to answer, and has therefore been detained at the Abuja Headquarters for questioning.

Ezomon had defeated Asein in a blood-soaked primary election contested by the duo.

Asein was fingered in the kidnapping of Ezomon due to the violence he allegedly visited on the All Progressives Congress (APC) state officials delegated by the party leadership to conduct the primary election a few months ago, and on other local party members at the venue of the APC primary that produced Ezomon as Asein's successor for the March 9 election. 

One of the APC state officials delegated to conduct the primary election, who asked not to be named, told our correspondent that Asein and his thugs chased them away from the local government headquarters, the venue of the primary at Sabogida-Ora, until they sought refuge in the house of former Deputy Governor, Rev. Peter Obadan.

"I have, all my life, never seen such bloodthirsty notorious political gangster who likened himself to quasi-mythical political figures like Asein," said the APC official.

"Asein and his band of thugs chased us with the electoral materials to Rev. Obadan's house with cutlasses and guns. We were held hostage for over seven hours in Obadan's house while vehicles were destroyed and burnt, and human skulls broken amidst clatters of bumming guns.

"It took the intervention of the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, through phone calls to Asein and his collaborators before we could manage to escape to Benin City via Owan East route."

APC's chieftains in the local government have spoken of Asein's boastful grandstanding that he has the backing of the Governor and that Oshiomhole and the Deputy Governor combined are too small for him to deal with.  

Friday Okele, APC Ward 08 chair in Owan West, attests to Asein's brutal political thuggery and intimidation: "I was attacked and brutalized by Hon. Ojo Asein and his army of thugs for refusing to support his second term ambition because his first and second time asChairman and House of Assembly member for three years running were colossal failure." 

Okele presented his litigation suit to the press with pictures of his battered face and body injuries along with Asein's apology letter to him and his lawyer to withdraw the suit against him. 

As Chairman of the local government, it was alleged that Asein corruptly enriched himself to the tune of N15 billion, set the council account department ablaze and killed the council account staff/officer, Mr. Friday Ohiorenuan, who vowed to expose Asein's illegal looting of the council funds.