Police In Edo Live Under Threats From Prison Escapees

The worsening security situation in Benin City, Edo State
capital, deteriorated on Saturday as policemen, especially those
who served as Investigating Police Officers (IPO’s) of the
prisoners who escaped from the two Correctional Centres in the
city, have been receiving threat messages from the escapees.

This was just as a medical doctor attached to the Central
Hospital, Benin City, Maxwell Orosanye, was shot on Saturday at
Mobil filling station along Siluko road and his Toyota Corolla car
snatched from him.

Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, who disclosed
the threats to his officers and men added that the test messages
were sent to those officers whose in the course of their duty,
prosecuted and secured the conviction of the escaped prisoners.

Kokumo disclosed that his men had been working with the existing
limitations to restore normalcy to the state, just as he said the
three policemen shot on Friday by hoodlums were recuperating.

“You can imagine what it means that three police stations along
Sokponba Road were destroyed and burnt, patrol vehicles destroyed
in several other parts of the state capital, all the officers in
these stations now operate from the headquarters”, he lamented.

It would be recalled that the #EndSARS protest was on October 19
hijacked by hoodlums and in the ensuing violence, inmates were set
free from the two Correctional Centres at Sapele Road and Oko,
Airport Road. This was in addition to burning down of seven police
stations in the Benin metropolis.

The situation, the top police officer, noted was telling on the
operations of the Command.

“What do you expect? Some of these escapees have been sending
threat messages to policemen who investigated and prosecuted them,
one of the escapees who was convicted for murder went that same day
to kill the prosecution witness in his village, but he was
rearrested immediately. Everybody must be part of the restoration
of sanity. People who know these escapees should avail us
information about them”, the Commissioner of Police pleaded.

He however, assured that “we are not sleeping but with what has
happened to the police in Edo, some of these hitches are expected.
But we are not sleeping and we will continue to work. As I speak to
you I am on my way to visit three of our personnel, an Assistant
Commissioner of Police and two Inspectors who were shot, they
recuperating.”

Three persons were Saturday shot dead along Evidence Street by
Isior, an outskirt of Benin. while two other dead bodies were
discovered near Uselu along Ugbowo Road early Saturday morning.

The worsening security situation in Benin City, Edo State
capital, deteriorated on Saturday as policemen, especially those
who served as Investigating Police Officers (IPO’s) of the
prisoners who escaped from the two Correctional Centres in the
city, have been receiving threat messages from the escapees.

This was just as a medical doctor attached to the Central
Hospital, Benin City, Maxwell Orosanye, was shot on Saturday at
Mobil filling station along Siluko road and his Toyota Corolla car
snatched from him.

Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, who disclosed
the threats to his officers and men added that the test messages
were sent to those officers whose in the course of their duty,
prosecuted and secured the conviction of the escaped prisoners.

Kokumo disclosed that his men had been working with the existing
limitations to restore normalcy to the state, just as he said the
three policemen shot on Friday by hoodlums were recuperating.

“You can imagine what it means that three police stations along
Sokponba Road were destroyed and burnt, patrol vehicles destroyed
in several other parts of the state capital, all the officers in
these stations now operate from the headquarters”, he lamented.

It would be recalled that the #EndSARS protest was on October 19
hijacked by hoodlums and in the ensuing violence, inmates were set
free from the two Correctional Centres at Sapele Road and Oko,
Airport Road. This was in addition to burning down of seven police
stations in the Benin metropolis.

The situation, the top police officer, noted was telling on the
operations of the Command.

“What do you expect? Some of these escapees have been sending
threat messages to policemen who investigated and prosecuted them,
one of the escapees who was convicted for murder went that same day
to kill the prosecution witness in his village, but he was
rearrested immediately. Everybody must be part of the restoration
of sanity. People who know these escapees should avail us
information about them”, the Commissioner of Police pleaded.

He however, assured that “we are not sleeping but with what has
happened to the police in Edo, some of these hitches are expected.
But we are not sleeping and we will continue to work. As I speak to
you I am on my way to visit three of our personnel, an Assistant
Commissioner of Police and two Inspectors who were shot, they
recuperating.”

Three persons were Saturday shot dead along Evidence Street by
Isior, an outskirt of Benin. while two other dead bodies were
discovered near Uselu along Ugbowo Road early Saturday morning.