Edo State Police Command Headquarters has on Wednesday 18th November 2020, paraded 16 suspected secret Cults, 14 Armed Robbery gang, 18 jailbreakers.
Addressing journalists on the development at the State Command Headquarters, the State Commissioner of Police, CP. Johnson Kokumo, said, the 14 suspected armed robbers and 16 suspected cultists who have been part of the killings across Benin City.
CP. Kokumo maintained that the 18 persons who escaped from the two correctional centers in Benin City were re-arrested while committing other crimes.
Kokumo said, the operations were part of the recovery process and building public confidence after the #EndSARS protests and the near breakdown of law and order in the state, noted that two of the prison escapees were re-arrested in Ondo state and another in Lagos State.
The State Commissioner of Police further said that some of the suspected robbers were among the robbery gangs that have been terrorizing residents in Benin City, stressed that despite the outcome of the #EndSARS protests that led to the destruction of several police stations and where some arms and ammunition were carted away.
Kokumo said we can not fold our arms and watch the hoodlums just go away with our arms like that, so we have outlined our map which is geared towards re-arresting the escapees and recovering the looted and other illicit arms and ammunition in circulation.
Police and other security agencies in conjunction with the State Government put machinery in place to checkmate the activities of these rampaging hoodlums, which have yielded some positive results.” Kokumo said.
CP. Kokumo, in his analysis, told journalists that among the suspects that were arrested by his men, were those who destroyed the Oba Market police station, looted our armory, and carted away arms and ammunition.
Exhibits recovered from the suspected criminals are two AK 47 rifles, four locally made guns, one Toyota Yaris Saloon car with Reg No. UBJ-447-SZ, one Toyota Highlander SUV Reg. No. DGE-524-AH and 21 live cartridges.
Kokumo however the good people of the State of adequate and timely security, most especially as yuletide season is approaching.
