Coordinator Edo North Unity Forum Worldwide, Okhai Okhani has broken his silence following a violent attack that left him severely injured and raised alarm over the rising wave of politically motivated violence in Nigeria.

Okhani accused unnamed political actors of orchestrating a violent attack on him in an attempt to silence his advocacy.

Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Sunday, Okhani detailed how he was ambushed and beaten by a group of armed men an assault rifle that was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media. Saying that the assailants intended to kill him.

?This is not an assault, it is an attempted murder,? he said. ?Let?s call it what it is.?

?I was dragged like an animal, beaten like a common criminal,? he said, describing the terrifying ordeal. ?They were fully armed. They came with machetes and sticks, and they kept shouting, This one too dey talk!

Okhani known for challenging local government officials and speaking against corruption, claimed the attack was politically motivated and tied to his recent exposes.

?They wanted to kill me because I?m exposing them. I?m telling people what they are doing in secret,? he said. ?I?m making people wake up and ask questions.?

According to him, the attackers did not just act out of anger but followed a clear plan. ?This thing was coordinated. It was organised, somebody sent them. Somebody is behind it,? he said.

The video footage, which shows several men attacking him in broad daylight, triggered outrage online and sparked calls for an investigation. But Okhani says the silence from state authorities has been deafening.

?Why hasn?t the governor said anything? Why hasn?t the deputy governor said anything? Why haven?t the police said anything?? he asked. ?It means they know what happened. It means they are involved or they are afraid of who is involved.?

He said the attack took place shortly after he attended a local town hall meeting where he openly criticised certain political leaders over rising insecurity and unemployment in Edo State.

Explaining that he had already received threats before the incident, but this was the first time those threats turned into physical violence.

?I?ve been getting calls. They told me, We?ll deal with you. You?re too stubborn. But I didn?t think it would get to this.?

Despite the trauma, the activist said he would not be intimidated into silence. ?I will not stop. They beat me, yes. They tore my clothes. They filmed me. But I?m still here,? he said. ?And I will keep talking. If I die, let it be known I died fighting for the truth.?

Okhani ended with a defiant message to those he believes are behind the attack, ?You can try to silence me, but you can?t silence the truth. One day, the people will rise.?

Human rights groups and legal observers have condemned the attack, but there has been no official response from the Edo State Government or Nigeria Police Force at the time of this report.

Okhani concluded with a powerful message, ?If we don?t resist this now, then we are saying it?s okay for thugs to rule Nigeria. And it?s not.?

No arrests have been made as of the time of this report, and authorities in Edo State have not yet commented on the assault. (AriseNews TV)

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