By Iduozee Paul, Benin
As crimes keep on increasing due to the Coronavirus ‘Stay At Home’ law and order, the commissioner of Police, Lawal Jimeta, said the State Command has arrested some suspects involved in committing various crimes in Edo State.
According to him, the crimes include armed robbery, murder, rape, kidnapping, stealing, burglary, cultists, fraudster and snatching of various kinds of vehicles. He said a total of 69 cultists were apprehended, while 28 were charged to court. The CP who, made the disclosure when he paraded some of the suspects in the State Command, said the police will comply with various laws enacted by the state government to stop Coronavirus. He said the use of ‘Face Mask’ is compulsory for those that want to leave their homes.
The police boss said on April 14, 2020, two robbers, Francis Osifo, M, and Samuel David, M, were arrested with one cut-to-size double barrel gun with two live cartridges and during the month under review, 50 cultists belonging to various secret cult confraternities were arrested in various hideouts, with one towel bearing the inscription “2019 Aiye”, one local pistol, beret cap and live cartridges.
Explaining how the notorious hoodlums were arrested in various areas, Jimeta said: ” Five kidnappers named Abdullahi Usman ‘m’, Abdulkadiri Mohammed ‘m’, Mohammed Lawan ‘m’, Bello Umar ‘m’ and Musa Lawan ‘m’, alleged to be involved in the kidnap and murder of two Lord’s Chosen Church of God members named Basil Odoji ‘m’ and Innocent Udoh ‘m’, were arrested. The decomposed bodies of the victims were recovered and deposited at our clinic morgue, Ikpoba Hill.
“One suspect who, robbed a phone and used same to threaten and demand for ransom from a victim, was arrested with two stolen phones. Two suspected kidnappers, named UsmanDogo ‘m’ and Saheed Ibrahim ‘m’ were arrested for their alleged involvement in several cases of kidnappings in the state and are undergoing interrogating.”
He then said the police would comply with COVID-19 regulations.
Said he: “The Command complied with the order of the federal government relating to Coronavirus pandemic passed over by the Inspector-General of Police to all commands as a way of stemming the spread of the diseases among police personnel in particular, and the public in general. The Command complied with the order of the federal government relating to (COVID-19) Pandemic which was passed over by the Inspector-General of Police to all Commands.
“As a way of stemming the spread of the virus among police personnel in particular and the public in general, all police cells were decongested; those with serious offence were charged to court. Those with bailable offences were released, influx of visitors to the Command headquarters was also minimized it. The Command joined hands with the state government in conjunction with other security agencies to enforce the various laws enacted to fight the deadly disease.
“Confessing to the crime, one of the suspects, who said he is an ex-militant operating in Ologbo locality, 35 year-old Francis Osifo, M, from Esan South East Local Government Area, Edo State, said they were arrested by the police with cut-to-size double barrel gun. Osifo expressed regret for being arrested in the criminal act and blamed his boss who advised him to buy a gun for security work.
