Police arrest suspected killers of four officers

The Police in Edo State have arrested suspected killers of four police officers in the state, the Edo State government has said.

Some armed men attacked a police station in Afuze, Owan East Local Government Area of the state, on Tuesday, killing the divisional police officer, and three other officers, including a sergeant who was eight months pregnant.

The men, said to have been about 10 in number, threw bombs into the station and also set ablaze police vehicles.

They went on from there to attack the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s office nearby.

The suspects are to be paraded on Monday by the police, a media aide to Governor Godwin Obaseki said in a statement on Sunday.

The aide, Crusoe Osagie, said the police is going to brief reporters on the operation that led to the arrest of the suspects.

“It is a bit of closure that the police have apprehended some of those suspected to have attacked the police station,” Mr Osagie said.

“Though we hear a good number of the suspects have been apprehended, we hope to get more information when the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Danmallam, briefs the press tomorrow.

Mr Osagie said the state government was committed to the security of Edo people and residents in the state.

“The incident in Afuze is condemnable and we commiserate with the affected families.

“We also hope that the speed at which the suspected culprits were arrested will bring some closure to the families, even as we await the full briefing from the police commissioner,” the governor’s aide said.

Governor Obaseki visited the police station a day after it was attacked and pledged government support to the police to enable them to fish out those behind the attack.

“We have not gotten this lawless in Edo State, that people can go to the extent of attacking police officers at their station.

“I have ordered the release of all the resources required to apprehend and bring the culprits face-to-face with justice,” Mr Obaseki had said.