Sowore, Victim Of Circumstance, Drove Into The Kidnapping Scene — Police

The Edo State Police Command on Sunday shed more light on the
circumstances surrounding the Saturday killing of Felix Olajide
Sowore, younger brother of the convener of Revolution Now, Omoyele
Sowore, by persons suspected to be kidnappers.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Bello Kontongs, who gave
the clarification at a press briefing in Benin City, said that the
younger Sowore was not an occupant of the bus from which five
persons were kidnapped.

According to him, Sowore was driving from Okada to Benin City,
when he ran into the suspected kidnappers who were shooting at the
commercial bus which broke down on Friday night and the occupants
had to find somewhere else to sleep.

Kontongs explained that the stranded commuters had returned
early on Saturday to pick their personal effects from the bus when
the kidnappers, who had laid ambush, opened fire on the commuters
and Sowore drove into the firing line unknowingly.

The PPRO added that the tactical team of the Command and some
local vigilantes, including the DPO of Okada Police Station, had
already gone into the bush, looking for the kidnappers, with the
aim of arresting them and rescuing the victims.

The Edo Police spokesman added that three occupants of the bus,
who escaped had been brought to the command’s headquarters and
profiled, while the kidnappers had not made any contact with the
police over the victims, though he would not know if the families
of the kidnapped victims had been contacted.

The text of Kontongs briefing reads: “It has become very
necessary to inform the general public because of the panic that
the incident is creating among the general public, especially, the
residents of Edo State, as regards the killing of one Felix Olajide
Sowore on September 4, 2021 at about 6:45 hours yesterday
(Saturday).

“It has become necessary for us to brief the press to inform the
general public that police is on top of the situation since the
incident happened. Bush combing has started, the Commissioner of
Police has directed the tactical team to put hands together with
the Divisional Police Headquarters at Okada for the bush combing
since yesterday.

“As I speak to you the local vigilantes in that area, the police
tactical team from the state command and the Divisional Police
Headquarters at Okada are all together in the bush right now
combing the forests in an effort to arrest the assailants and
possibly rescue five other persons that are still with the
kidnappers.

“Sowore Felix was not one of the occupants of the bus that some
of them were kidnapped. He was just someone that ran into the
incident. He was coming and met the situation on ground.

“The bus actually was coming from the South going towards Lagos.
The bus belonged to a private transport company, and broke down at
around 2 am in the early hours of Saturday, and the occupants look
for somewhere to sleep.

“That early hours in the morning the occupants came with the
intention to pack their belongings from the bus, but unknown to
them, the kidnappers have laid ambush, and immediately they opened
the bus. the kidnappers came out from the bush and started shooting
at the bus in an attempt to create fear in them, but some of them
try to escape.

“Sowore was coming from Okada to Benin. He was just a victim.
The kidnappers tried to stop him, but he refused to stop. The
bullet hit his car and one of the bullets got him, and he died on
the spot. He was confirmed by the doctors, and his corpse has been
deposited at Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital.

“That is the situation, and the Commissioner of police is doing
everything possible to ensure that they are arrested and those
kidnapped are rescued.

“Until now, there is no contact from the kidnappers. We don’t
know if they have contacted the families of those kidnapped but to
the police and those who escaped they have made no contact.

“The police is also trying to use tactical means in order to
tract the kidnapped victims.

“Some of the occupants of the bus who escaped and some we met
hiding in the bush we brought to the police headquarters, and we
have profiled them. They are three in number.”

The Edo State Police Command on Sunday shed more light on the
circumstances surrounding the Saturday killing of Felix Olajide
Sowore, younger brother of the convener of Revolution Now, Omoyele
Sowore, by persons suspected to be kidnappers.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Bello Kontongs, who gave
the clarification at a press briefing in Benin City, said that the
younger Sowore was not an occupant of the bus from which five
persons were kidnapped.

According to him, Sowore was driving from Okada to Benin City,
when he ran into the suspected kidnappers who were shooting at the
commercial bus which broke down on Friday night and the occupants
had to find somewhere else to sleep.

Kontongs explained that the stranded commuters had returned
early on Saturday to pick their personal effects from the bus when
the kidnappers, who had laid ambush, opened fire on the commuters
and Sowore drove into the firing line unknowingly.

The PPRO added that the tactical team of the Command and some
local vigilantes, including the DPO of Okada Police Station, had
already gone into the bush, looking for the kidnappers, with the
aim of arresting them and rescuing the victims.

The Edo Police spokesman added that three occupants of the bus,
who escaped had been brought to the command’s headquarters and
profiled, while the kidnappers had not made any contact with the
police over the victims, though he would not know if the families
of the kidnapped victims had been contacted.

The text of Kontongs briefing reads: “It has become very
necessary to inform the general public because of the panic that
the incident is creating among the general public, especially, the
residents of Edo State, as regards the killing of one Felix Olajide
Sowore on September 4, 2021 at about 6:45 hours yesterday
(Saturday).

“It has become necessary for us to brief the press to inform the
general public that police is on top of the situation since the
incident happened. Bush combing has started, the Commissioner of
Police has directed the tactical team to put hands together with
the Divisional Police Headquarters at Okada for the bush combing
since yesterday.

“As I speak to you the local vigilantes in that area, the police
tactical team from the state command and the Divisional Police
Headquarters at Okada are all together in the bush right now
combing the forests in an effort to arrest the assailants and
possibly rescue five other persons that are still with the
kidnappers.

“Sowore Felix was not one of the occupants of the bus that some
of them were kidnapped. He was just someone that ran into the
incident. He was coming and met the situation on ground.

“The bus actually was coming from the South going towards Lagos.
The bus belonged to a private transport company, and broke down at
around 2 am in the early hours of Saturday, and the occupants look
for somewhere to sleep.

“That early hours in the morning the occupants came with the
intention to pack their belongings from the bus, but unknown to
them, the kidnappers have laid ambush, and immediately they opened
the bus. the kidnappers came out from the bush and started shooting
at the bus in an attempt to create fear in them, but some of them
try to escape.

“Sowore was coming from Okada to Benin. He was just a victim.
The kidnappers tried to stop him, but he refused to stop. The
bullet hit his car and one of the bullets got him, and he died on
the spot. He was confirmed by the doctors, and his corpse has been
deposited at Igbinedion University Teaching Hospital.

“That is the situation, and the Commissioner of police is doing
everything possible to ensure that they are arrested and those
kidnapped are rescued.

“Until now, there is no contact from the kidnappers. We don’t
know if they have contacted the families of those kidnapped but to
the police and those who escaped they have made no contact.

“The police is also trying to use tactical means in order to
tract the kidnapped victims.

“Some of the occupants of the bus who escaped and some we met
hiding in the bush we brought to the police headquarters, and we
have profiled them. They are three in number.”