Residents Set Fire to Edo Police Station Over Kidnapping and Killing of Young Man Despite Ransom Payment

Residents of Agenebode, the headquarters of Etsako East Local Government Area in Edo State, burned down a police station following the kidnapping and killing of a young man.

According to a source who craved anonymity, several people were reported killed, and vehicles within the police station were set on fire due to allegations that suspected Fulani herdsmen were kidnapping and killing individuals for organ harvesting, allegedly with the protection of the police.

“The youths in the community were able to track the phone and the user was arrested and handed over to the police. The user was traced to the head of the Fulani community in the area

“Apparently not satisfied with the way the police were handling the matter, the youths stormed the police station and took away the suspect, led him to the house of the Fulani leader where on prodding, he allegedly confessed to them that several kidnapped victims had been killed and buried in shallow graves after parts of their bodies were harvested.

“The infuriated youths dug up the decomposing body of the young man in the compound of the leader of the Fulani who had fled with his family and in the process of digging up the decomposing body, saw several bones believed to be those of human beings

“In anger, the youths burnt down the building and then the business centres of several other Hausa/Fulani youths and then stormed the police station and set it ablaze.”

One of the youths said, “Enough is enough. This must stop. The police kill our children and still collect money from us. These kidnappers will abduct our children, collect money and still kill them. They will collect N2.5m, sometimes, N3m from us and still kill the victims.”

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) for Zone 5, Arungwa Udo, and the Commissioner of Police, Nemi Edwin-Iwo, have visited the area to restore order and conduct an on-the-spot assessment.