Police arrest two over killings in Edo State

• Govt offers scholarship to slain ex-council chairman’s child
There is a cloud of anxiety in the air across Edo State over recent killings arising from suspected assassination and armed robbery, with the most recent being the killing of former chairman of Etsako East Local Council, Suleman Afegbua, near Benin City on the Benin-Okenne-Lokoja road last Thursday.

Police sources told The Guardian yesterday that two suspects have been arrested in connection with the killing of two persons last week ,Mrs. Oyo Omo-Osagie, who operates a shop less than 200 metres from the police command headquarters, who was trailed to her house and shot, and Pastor Godwin Emmanuel, said to have stopped for the assailants who pretended to be pushing their broken down vehicle.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Moses Nkombe, while confirming the arrests to The Guardian, said the two victims were killed by the same suspects and that investigation is on to ascertain the motives for the killings.

“They were arrested through tracking the mobile phone of the woman and they have confessed to the killing of the two victims.”

On the killing of Afegbua, Nkombe said the Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, has ordered increased security in that axis. “The CP has ordered increased patrol in that axis by the Highway Patrol and conventional patrol teams to make the road safe for road users,” he said.

Meanwhile, Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, has offered full scholarship to the only child of Afegbua, even as he promised to tar the road leading to the quarters where the deceased lived.

He made this known when he paid a condolence visit to the family in Okpella. “Even if Suleiman is gone, I will make sure we take care of Zaiki, offer scholarship to his child to university level and provide the necessary needs for the family. This road leading to this quarters (Awoyemi), which Suleiman could not complete will be completed and the youth will not be forgotten, as Suleiman was always fighting for the youth,” he said.

Obaseki, who was received by late Suleiman’s father, his wife and other members of the family, said the deceased was an active member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), an administrator per excellence and a man of peace who did his best to foster peace, unity and development in his community.

He stressed that the ex-council boss was killed on March 16 while on his way to Benin for a peace and reconciliation meeting with the governor to settle the lingering problem in the community.

“You all know him to be a man of peace. He was going to Benin on that day for a reconciliation meeting to settle the problem in Okpella. He was a man of peace and you will recall that for the last few weeks there has been series of robberies on that road as well as kidnapping. It is unfortunate he had to die at the hands of armed robbers.”