Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The truth has emerged on how two police officers and two others were severely wounded in Ikpeshi, a community in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.
The Edo State Police image maker, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident on Sunday but said more details would be made available to the public in due time.
It was gathered that the police convoy was said to have hit a motorcycle and in the process the rider and another occupant died.
It was also learnt that the policemen were in a hilux as escort to a former member of the Edo State House of Assembly, Emmanuel Agbaje when their convoy ran into the motorbike.
Angered by the accident, youths of the area were said to have invaded the Edo State Security Volunteer Network (vigilante) office, where the policemen were taken for custody, overran the facility and beat two of them to death.
Two of the policemen were said to be lucky as members of the vigilante group were able to rescue them.
They were said to be receiving treatment in a hospital and also recovered the rifles of the police officers.
The angry youths were said to have attacked the vigilante office and destroyed its furniture, while threatening to deal with their members who tried to rescue the police officers.
A police source disclosed that the affected officers were from Police Mobile Force 19, Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
He said: “One Toyota Hilux van conveying 4 policemen namely Inspector Brownson Brown, Inspector Abubaka Fakkuk, Sergeant Taiye Ojiefo and Sergeant Elisha John, attached to Police Mobile Force 19 Port Harcourt were on escort duty with Hon Emmanuel Agbaje, a former Edo State House Assembly member was involved in an accident with a motorcycle conveying a woman and child by Ikpeshi community.
In the process, the rider and passenger died on the spot and in reaction, angry youths attacked the policemen, beat Inspector Abubaka Fakku and Sergeant Elisha John to death while two others are receiving treatment at Ifejola hospital, Igarra.”
Reacting to the incident, the chairman, Akoko-Edo Local Government Council, Hon Tajudeen Alade, condemned the “dastardly act by the youths”, just as he commended the efforts of the vigilante to save the life of the policemen.
He said those involved would be brought to book and promised support for the twin sister of one of the occupants of the motorcycle.