The people of Edo Central Senatorial District, particularly Ekpoma in the administrative headquarters of Esan West, may have heaved a sigh of relief following the recent arrest of six kidnap suspects who have been terrorizing the area.
Kidnapping in the community which is host to Ambrose Alli University had in recent times assumed a dangerous dimension in the area as no week passes without a major kidnap case, forcing residents to cry out to various security agencies for help.
Respite, however, seem to have come their way on Tuesday in Benin City when the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo, paraded some apprehended kidnappers including six who have been terrorizing the people of Ekpoma and its environs.
They include Archibong Saviour, Ofeimu Luke, Okhualeigbe Ehikioya, Ekanem Effiong Nyakno, Effiong Udoh Emmanuel and Monday Samson.
These six kidnap suspects, apart from collecting huge sums of money as ransom from relatives of the victims in some cases murder their victims in cold blood.
According to CP Adebanjo, “The suspects confessed to be responsible for the kidnapped and murder of one Dr. Sunday Eruzegbua (a medical doctor working in Otibho Okhale Teaching Hospital, Irrua, on November 29, 2013.
"The police using both cover and overt intelligence was able to get the suspects arrested and recovered arms and ammunitions from them,” the Police boss stated.
He further disclosed that cash and one Toyota Camry car with registration number KRD 406 CE, were also recovered from the kidnappers.
But while commending the men and officers of the Edo State Police Command for arresting the kidnap suspects, the people of Ekpoma have called on the police authorities to ensure that the kidnap suspects are brought to justice.
The Ekpoma people also called on the various security agencies in the state to unmask the sponsors and collaborators of kidnappers to rid the state of the scourge of kidnapping.
In a related development, warring factions in Ilushi, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State have agreed to sheath their swords for the peaceful resolution of their lingering crisis.
The groups made this resolution in a stakeholders meeting at Ubiaja, the administrative headquarters of the council recently.
No fewer than eight policemen, four soldiers, a pregnant woman including uncountable number of houses have been lost to the age- long communal feud which recently claimed two indigenous lives and left hundreds of persons homeless.
The council boss, Hon. Joseph Ikpea, said the peace agreement will not only put an end to the wanton destruction of lives and property but equally create enabling environment to fashion out modalities to bringing lasting peace to the area.
He said arrangements has equally been put in place to constitute a committee who will liaise with the state government to resolve the crisis adding that some members of the warring groups will also be co-opted into a body responsible for revenue collection in Illushi market.
“Without peace, we cannot achieve success. This is why we have been clamouring for peace. We have made a milestone trying to see that the warring factions sheathe their weapons and embrace peace.”
On his part, DSP Mike Egwumba, Ubiaja Divisional Police Officer, who expressed worries over the spate of killings in the area and indiscriminate manner in which people are buried in Illushi River urged the group to erase wickedness from their mind.
In August last year, one of the sons of Chief Ike-Kebordih, the Ebije1 of IIlushi, was beheaded and thrown into the river while in retaliation, one Abiodun Ojobor, was equally killed by the rival group.
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