From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo on Friday condemned the killing of some suspected kidnappers by residents of a community in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were said to be travelling when vigilante members in Uromi flagged down their truck and discovered some guns in the vehicle, which led to a mob attack on the passengers. Seven of them were tagged kidnappers and set ablaze.
Governor Okpebholo in a statement, described 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 were made to face the full wrath of the law, stressing that “such a barbaric act is strange in our climes and will not be tolerated in the state”.
SP Osaghale said he was in Uromi at the instance of the governor to ascertain the level of damage done and to ensure that prompt investigation was carried out to ensure justice and forestall a reoccurrence.
He revealed that investigations have shown that the people who were killed had boarded a commercial truck and was stopped by members of the local security who discovered some guns in the vehicle, a situation that led to the mob attack on the victims.
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.
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. He said men of the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies have been deployed to restore peace and normalcy to the place.
Appreciating the governor for his swift response, the leader of the Hausa community in Uromi, Mallam Aliyu Haruna, thanked Governor Okpebholo for deploying the CSO and other security personnel to the community.