Lucky Obukohwo ReportingÂ
The Edo State Police Command, yesterday, said it has commenced Investigation into the abduction of 12 persons including school children and the killing of three others by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Emokpae Community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, disclosed this in Benin City.
Recall that residents of Agor Emokpae Community had
last week Wednesday protested the killing of three persons and the abduction of 12 other persons in the community by suspected herdsmen.
Addressing newsmen at the Edo State Government House during a peaceful protest, leader of the group who simply identified his name as Commander Egua, said the incident happened on Wednesday afternoon.
He said the bus conveying their children who were coming back from school and other market women were accosted by suspected Fulani herdsmen and were taken into the forest.
Egua said the herdsmen who appeared from the bush have killed three of their persons already while others are still being held captive.
“I am commander Egua, commander in charge of Agor Emokpae environ under Edo State Security Network .
” Yesterday, as at 3pm, when our children were returning from school from the neighbouring community, the Herdsmen invaded the road, took our children even the bike men that went to take them from the school, they were also kidnapped in the process.
“One minibus that was also taken passengers to the nearby community was stopped and the passengers were also kidnapped.
“As we speak, 15 persons have already been kidnapped and three of them are already been killed by the Herdsmen”, he said.
Egua said they have decided to take the protest to the government house having heard about how the governor mobilized all the security agencies in the state to rescue the over 20 train passengers kidnapped by Herdsmen recently at Igueben.
“So, we have come to solicit the help of the government because we heard of an incident that happened at Igueben were about 20 persons were kidnapped, they mobilized all the security agencies in the state in freeing their hostages.
“So, the government should rise up and act fast”, he said.
When asked if the kidnappers have contacted them for ransom, he said “the information we just got before we left the community, a woman that was also kidnapped in the community has called her family saying the kidnappers have asked her to bring N20m”
Another protester, Esther Matthew, appealed to the state government to help rescue her husband from the hands of the kidnappers
“I am here to beg our governor, our father, to help me.
“They have kidnapped my husband and my son and my brother who went to rescue them, they have also killed him. We have seen his dead body”, the 28 years old woman said.
Also lamenting the adoption of her children, Mrs Gift Omoruyi said her two children were also kidnapped
“My two children were coming from school when they were kidnapped. The boy is 13 while the girl, is 15”, she said.