FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has condemned the setting ablaze of suspected kidnappers by residents of a community in Uromi, East North East Local Government Area.
Describing the act as barbaric and condemnable, the governor represented by the Chief Security Officer, CSO, Government House, SP Solomon Osaghale, vowed to ensure that the perpetuators are brought to justice and made to face the full wrath of the law.
He stressed that such a barbaric act is strange in our clime and will not be tolerated in the state.
SP Osaghale said he was in Uromi on the instance of the governor to ascertain the level of damage done and ensure that prompt investigation is carried out.
He revealed that investigations showed that the people who were killed had boarded a commercial truck and was stopped by members of the local security who, upon search of the vehicle, discovered some guns, a situation that led to the mob attack by persons around the vicinity.
While condemning the act, he reinstated that nobody has the right to take another man’s life, stressing that the nature of the barbaric killing was a cause of concern to the governor.
According to him, “Governor Okpebholo, on getting the news of this incident, directed me to immediately come here and find out what transpired as the news of what happened here is a sign of worry to the governor whose desire is to create a prosperous state void of dastardly acts like this.
“I can assure you that the people involved in this unprovoked attacked will not go scot -free, as His Excellency has directed the commissioner of police to launch a full scale investigation into the matter. As I speak now, over four persons have been arrested for their involvement in this ugly incidence,” he said.
The CSO called for calm, while assuring the law abiding residents of Uromi, especially the Hausa Community in the area to go about their daily activities, as policemen and other security agencies have been deployed to restore peace and normalcy.
Appreciating the governor for his swift response, the leader of the Hausa Community in Uromi, Mallam Aliyu Haruna, thanked him for deploying the CSO and other security personnel to the community.
Mallam Haruna acknowledged that their presence has brought calm and reassurance to the Hausa Community in the area, as there was palpable fear and unease, following the unfortunate incident which he noted has never happened before in the local government.
Haruna said: “We want to sincerely thank the governor for his swift response. I must tell you that this is the first time a thing like this is happening in Uromi and it baffles me because Uromi people have been so accommodating to us.
“Over the years, we have lived peacefully among the indigenes. Our sojourn in this land has spanned over 70 years. I was given birth to here including other people you are seeing here today.”
