Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has denied reports that he ordered one of his aides to beat up a Catholic priest at Ujogba in Edo Central District of the state.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Peter Okhiria, said nothing like that occurred.
“We watched 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. The report is callous, malicious and wicked, and those behind it are only interested in churning out falsehood to denigrate the Oshiomhole administration”, he said.
The statement added: “While we state that the governor was never at Ujogba as reported by the TV station, the governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, is known to be proudly Catholic and has boasted about his faith many times.
“It is a fact that the governor enjoys a robust relationship with the Catholic Church. If the purported incident actually took place, why has the church not reported it? To the best of our knowledge, the ITV report was deliberately fabricated to promote hate”.
The governor called on the television station to retract the said report and tender an unreserved apology to him.
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