17th August, 2022
By Jethro Ibileke
Operatives of Edo state police command have busted a suspected ritual shrine in Benin, the state capital.
A graphic video of the shrine showed mummified bodies stacked on an iron rack and others standing against the wall of the room.
A statement late Wednesday night by the command’s deputy image maker, ASP Jennifer Iwegbu, said that the shrine was discovered along Asoro slope, off Ekenhuan road, in Uzebu quarters, following credible information received same day.
She noted that the discovery was in pursuance of the command’s operational mandate of nipping crimes in the bud, following a credible information received.
The statement said:
“Following credible information at Command’s disposal that some corpse were discovered in a building along Asoro slope off Ekenhua road, Uzebu quarters, Benin city, operatives of the command immediately swung into action and mobilized to the scene.
“At the scene, 3 suspects, Chimaobi Okoewu ‘M’ and Oko Samuel ‘M’ both of Afikpo in Ebonyi and Gideon Sunday ‘M’ of Akwa-Ibom State were arrested while others fled. An intensive effort is ongoing to arrest the other fleeing suspects.
[Fifteen] 15 mummified male corpses, 3 mummified female corpses and 2 mummified children corpses were discovered at the scene.”
The statement added that the State Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of state CID to carry out a discreet investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the discovered corpses.
Yaro also enjoined the general public to be calm as the Command will continue to ensure the safety of all law-abiding citizens and those residing in Edo state.