The Edo State Police Command has detained eight individuals in connection with the killing of a site engineer, Efe Ogbeide, during a leadership dispute in the Obazagbon community of Benin.
Confirming the arrests on Thursday, police spokesperson Moses Yamu identified Joshua Edo, the chairman of the community youths, as the prime suspect.
The other suspects include Obayuwana Happy, Uhunwangho Everest, Chidera Umeh, Simon Benjamin, Odion Adagbonyin, Kennedy Ohro, and Osayi Adagbonyin.
He stated that officers from the Iyekogba Division’s Operation Rescue and Anti-Kidnapping Unit apprehended the suspects at various locations.
According to Yamu, the crisis stemmed from a power struggle over the positions of chairman and traditional leader (Okiaghele), resulting in multiple deaths and the destruction of property worth millions of naira.
Edo State Commissioner of Police, Betty Isokpan, condemned the violence and assured residents that all those responsible would face the full force of the law.
She reaffirmed the commitment of security agencies to maintaining peace and protecting lives and property.
The murder of Ogbeide has sparked outrage among civil society organizations. On Tuesday, the Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID) and the Edo State Civil Society Organisations staged a protest, calling for justice.
NAPVID’s executive director, Melody Omosha, described Ogbeide as a dedicated engineer and raised concerns that, being deaf, he may not have heard any warnings before the attack.
The groups urged authorities to ensure justice is served and called for stronger protections for persons with disabilities in the state.
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