12th June, 2022
By Jethro Ibileke
Edo State Police Command has lunched manhunt for a yet-to-be-identified mastermind behind fresh circulation of a 2022 video on killing of some suspects that has now again gone viral on the social media.
The Police said the video is being recycled with the target of instilling fear, panic and tension in the minds of people.
Spokesman of the Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, in a statement on Sunday, titled: “Obscene publication of a viral video on social media by the enemies of the state”, noted that the Command has been inundated with the information of the said video that happened in 2020.
Nwabuzor added that the incident in the obscene video happened in 2020, along Ekehuan Road, by Ogede Secondary School, Benin City, Edo State.
The statement read:
“Exactly one year and some months ago, unknown youths accosted a vehicle with all male occupants in the vehicle. This raise a suspicion to the unknown youths that the passengers in the vehicle were criminals, so they stopped the vehicle, conducted search only by themselves and recovered some arms and ammunition and thereafter set the vehicle, suspects, arms and ammunition ablaze and the fire burnt both the male passengers, vehicle, arms and ammunition beyond recognition.
“Immediately, the then Commissioner of Police Edo State, The Deputy Commissioner of Police Operations and some other police operatives visited the scene and in view of the visit, the security of the area was intensified in ensuring the protection of lives and property of the community dwellers and in the interest of the general public,” the statement said.
The Command however appealed to people in the State and the general public to remain law-abiding and not to join unscrupulous and criminal elements “in recycling the viral video that is targeted at instilling fear, panic and tension in the minds of the people, home and abroad to believe that there is security instability or breakdown in Edo State.”
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, has warned that anyone caught or linked to the viral video will be arrested, shamed and prosecuted in court to serve as a deterrent to others.
He, however, urged the people of the State not to panic but go about their normal business, adding that there is no cause for alarm, as the State is safe and will remain safe under his watch.