Scores Killed As Irate Youths Set Police Station Ablaze In Edo

A midday carnage on Sunday swept through Agenebode, the headquarters of Etsako East local government area of Edo State as several persons were feared killed and a police station set ablaze.

The attack followed the allegation that suspected criminal Fulanis had been kidnapping and killing people in the area for organ harvesting and were allegedly being protected by the Police.

The incident that led to the carnage, according to a resident, was the case of a young boy, who was said to have been kidnapped some weeks ago and remained in captivity despite payment of ransom.

It was gathered that the community youths were able to track the boy’s phone and the user was arrested and handed over to the police. The phone user was also traced to the head of the Hausa/Fulani community in the area.

Apparently not satisfied with the way the police were handling the matter, the youths of the community were said to have stormed the police station and forcefully took away the suspect, who it was gathered, led them to the house of the Hausa/Fulani leader where on further interrogation, allegedly confessed to that several kidnap victims had been killed and buried in shallow graves after parts of their bodies were harvested.

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The infuriated youths allegedly dug out the decomposing body of the young boy in the compound of the leader of the Hausa/Fulani community, who had reportedly fled with his family and in the process of digging up the decomposing body, saw several bones believed to be that of human beings.

In anger, the youths were said to have burnt down the building and then the business centres of several other Hausa/Fulani youths, killing some of them and later stormed the police station and set it ablaze.

One of the youths said, “Enough is enough, this must stop, police kill our children and still collect money from us. These kidnappers will kidnap our children, collect money and still kill them. They will collect N2.5 million, sometimes N3 million from us and still kill the victims.”

When contacted, the chairman of Estako East local government area council, Mrs Benedicta Atoh, was said to be too shocked to talk, according to one of her aides.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 5, Arungwa Udo, and the Commissioner of Police in the State, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, have visited Agenebode apparently to restore peace and order and as well conduct an on-the-spot assessment

When contacted by our correspondent, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Command, Moses Yamu, replied through a text message that, “Will get back to you ASAP (as soon as possible).”