Police arrest 34 suspects including 20 for armed robbery in Edo

TRACKING____The Police Command in Edo on Friday said it arrested no fewer than 34 suspects for crimes in the state in the last two weeks.

The State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, disclosed this in Benin while briefing the media on its achievements in the fight against crimes and criminalities in the state.

Kokumo disclosed that the suspects include 20 armed robbery and four kidnap suspects.

He said others include seven suspects for alleged cultism and three suspects for escaping from lawful custody.

The commissioner disclosed that exhibits recovered from the suspects include AK-47 rifle with breach No. 5571, one English revolver pistol, and nine locally made pistols.

Other exhibits were three live cartridges, two expended cartridges, one battle-ax, and four vehicles.

“We also recovered 19 exotic phones, one police belt, one pair of police Inspector insignia, and one Army Camouflage cap.

“One POS Terminal, Sim cards of different Network, one red Daylong motorcycle with Reg. No. UBJ-325-VS, a cash sum of N8,790, assorted sim cards of different Networks, and assorted ATM cards of different banks were also recovered,” he said.

“As we approach the Yuletide season, the police will not rest on its oars until all the arms and ammunition carted away by the hoodlums, the aftermath of EndSARS protest, are recovered and escapees from Benin and Oko Custodial Centres rearrested.

“The criminal elements resident in the Edo will not know peace while those planning incursion from contiguous states are warned to steer clear as the police command is fully prepared to wage war against them.”

He noted that the command had continued to discharge its constitutional responsibilities aimed at protecting lives and property by striving to prevent crime and criminality.

“However, there have been reported cases of kidnapping and inter-cult rivalry clashes in the state; they are being painstakingly looked into with a view to sniffing out the perpetrators wherever they hibernate,” Kokumo said.