Five feared dead as hoodlums, security agencies clash in Edo

No fewer than five persons lost their lives yesterday during a clash between security agencies and hoodlums, following the looting of the Edo Pharmaceutical Company Warehouse in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

It was gathered that trouble starting when some hoodlums midday broke into the warehouse, popularly called ‘Medical Stores’, on Medical Stores Road and found some huge sums of money alongside the COVID-19 palliatives in the facility.

The hoodlums under the guise of EndSARS then attempted to take away the cash but were resisted by the security operatives on the ground, which triggered the unrest.

A source, which pleaded anonymous, said the hoodlums engaged the security agencies in a gun battle, which resulted in the death of five persons, including security personnel.

The incident created tension in the neighbourhood, as motorists and other road users scampered for safety following the reported killing of security personnel during the fracas.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said that the government has distributed most of the palliative materials sent to the state and what was stored at the warehouse, which has now been breached in Medical Stores Road, was strategic to mitigate eventualities.

At the time of filing this report, effort to get the comment of the state police public relations officer, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, was unsuccessful as his telephone number was unavailable.