56 arrested in Kogi
Ten of the 1,993 inmates in correctional centres at Airport and Sapele Roads, Benin City, Edo State have been arrested barely 10 days after escaping from the centres.
One of the escapees returned to his community where he allegedly killed a prosecution witness in his case while five stole a Toyota Lexus 330 and a Camry. The Lexus with registration number: KWL 205 AZ and Camry marked LSD 231 GD were recovered from them.
Commissioner of Police Babatunde Kokumo paraded the 10 jail-breakers alongside 116 suspected criminals, arsonists and looters of COVID-19 palliatives in Benin.
He was silent on the offences of the remaining three of the 10 that returned to crimes.
The 10 re-arrested male escapees are Emmanuel Udoh, Friday Etim, Victor Akpotor, Lucky Precious, Osarumen Enoragbon, Patrick Eguavoen, Abraham Matthew, Endurance Ifobuow, Mohammed Adamu and Henry Atadi.
Kokumo said: “We have commenced actions against the criminal elements. It will interest you to know that 10 of the criminal elements who escaped from Oko Correctional Centre on Airport Road, Benin and the Correctional Centre on Sapele Road, Benin, were also arrested.
“One of them, after having escaped from Oko correctional centre ran back to his village on the same day, to kill the person who stood as prosecution witness in the case that took him to the correctional centre. He has been arrested and he is among the suspects.
“Another group of three escapees from the correctional centre in Benin also went ahead to snatch a Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Three of them met at the correctional centre and they were caught by the police.
“A set of two escapees equally stole a Toyota Camry car. They also met at the correctional centre. They were arrested by Okada Division of Edo State Police Command. We have a total of ten escapees.
“Guns were also recovered from the criminal elements. Anybody who is armed with weapon of destruction is no longer embarking on a peaceful protest.
”The stolen arms and ammunition regrettably would have been unleashed on the members of the public if we had not recovered them.”
Kogi State Commissioner of Police Ayuba Ede yesterday paraded 56 persons who allegedly looted materials and vandalised property worth several millions of naira in Lokoja between last Sunday and Monday.
The exhibits recovered are a spraying pump machine, agro-chemicals, cartons of surgical gloves, and a kit of spanners and screw drivers. Other items recovered were tricycles, motorcycles, essential drugs and medical equipment, air conditioners, computers and other electronics.
Parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Lokoja, CP Ede said the arrest of the suspects was in compliance with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu to reclaim the public space and restore normalcy across the federation and to bring an end to wanton violence, killings, looting and destruction of public and private properties in the country.
Credit: THE NATION
