17th November, 2022
By Jethro Ibileke
Six people have been arrested by operatives of Edo Police Command for allegedly performing rituals at the government secretariat building in Benin City, the State capital.
The State Police Command spokesperson, SP Chidi Nwanbuzor, who paraded the suspects on Thursday.
He alleged that the suspects who are from Oke-Oroma community where the government had demolished houses built on state – owned land, were arrested while spilling animal blood on a paper containing the names of Governor Godwin Obaseki and two of his commissioners, at the gate of the secretariat buildings.
He added that the police got wind that some group of people have gone to the secretariat to perform ritual and were arrested.
According to him, “The suspects paraded themselves in the name of protest to the state secretariat along Sapele [road], spilled animal blood at the gate in forms of rituals against the state government for the policy implemented against land grabbing in the state”.
Nwabuzor noted that it is against the law for people to protest without informing the state police commissioner and as the protest could cause breach of public peace.
However, one of the suspects, Wilson Imasuen, in an interview with journalists, denied spilling animal blood at the gate of the state secretariat.
He confirmed that they’re member of Oke-Oroma community where houses were demolished by the state government.
He added that they were protesting the demolition of their houses.
Imasuen added that they transmitted a letter to the state commissioner of police about the protest, adding that they were given permission and that the police and other security agents were on ground during the protest.
“I don’t know anything about the killing of fowl, we were surprised when police and vigilante swoop on us at the Museum ground hours after the protest had ended. We were protesting the demolition of our house,” he said.
But another suspects, Collins Ojo, said the protesters were persons of various faith and anyone cannot be stopped from exercising his or her faith.
“Right there while we were protesting, there were Muslims, Christians, some traditionalists. I can’t stop any traditional persons from expressing himself as a traditionalist. I saw Christians praying, I saw Muslim praying too during the protest.
“Everybody was doing [his] thing. What happened is that, immediately I turned my back, I saw that some persons have already slaughtered fowl inside the native pot,” Ojo said.