FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Edo State Police Command said on Wednesday that it had arrested two suspects, Pastor Ijebor Simon and Destiny Okojabhole, over the murder of seven-year-old Evans Okojabhole.
A statement by the police spokesman, Moses Yamu, said the incident was reported by the deceased’s father, John Okojabhole, of Jehovah’s Witness Road, off Elebesunu Street in Irrua, Edo State.
Yamu said Evans corpse was sighted with his stomach ripped open, feet severed from his ankle and some fingers cut off and dumped in a bush close to their house, 24 hours after he was reported missing.
The statement reads: “The command is in receipt of a case of murder reported by John Okhojabhole of Jehovah Witness Road, off Elebesunu Street in Irrua.
“The unfortunate incident was reported on February 22 at about 13:45 hours, when the remains of his seven-year old son, Evans was sighted with his stomach ripped open, his feet from his ankle and some fingers cut off and dumped in the bush close to their house at the above named address, 24 hours after he was reported missing.
“During preliminary investigation, two suspects, Pastor Ijebor Simon (45 years) and Destiny Okojabhole (23 years) have been arrested by operatives of Irrua Divisional Headquarters and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Benin City, for further investigation.”
Yamu also said three persons,
lbrahim Agboje, Yakubu Abudulkareem and Kareem Audu had been arrested over the killing of a 50-year-old vigilante commander, Victor Ogedengbe, in his farm in Erah Camp, Owan East Local Government Area.
According to the spokesman, the chairman of Owan East reported at Afuze Division that Ogedengbe was killed in his farm by suspected herdsmen and was deposited at the hospital.
“Immediate investigation launched by operatives of Afuze Division led to the arrest of three suspects, Agboje (King), Abudulkareem and Audu, all of Erah Community. They have equally been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the command has reviewed the security deployment in Uzanu and environs, following the killing of two men by suspected herdsmen while in their farms in Okpekpe Community with a view to apprehend the perpetrators and forestall reoccurrence.
