BENIN—ARMED robbers terrorising Benin continued their siege yesterday, killing two persons in an operation at Ikpoba Slope area of the city. Five others were wounded, just 24 hours after seven people were killed by robbers who also shot a bishop and a local government chairman. The state government responding to the development, convened an emergency meeting to find a solution to the problem.
The state House of Assembly on its part expressed dismay at the way robbers were terrorising residents, while a retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Mr. Parry Osayande, said governments at all levels had failed because "their inability to equip the police well and take care of their welfare makes it imperative for armed robbers to capitalise on those lapses and that is why Benin residents can no longer sleep."
The robbers’ targets yesterday were mainly traders travelling through Edo State to the South East. They were waylaid at Ikpoba Slope and Ihama area of the GRA and dispossessed of their money. Two were killed.
Thereafter, the robbers attacked a supermarket at the GRA and disappeared. While escaping, they sighted a policeman and opened fire on him. But the policeman escaped death by the whiskers.
Deputy Governor Mike Oghiadome in the absence of Governor Lucky Igbinedion called an emergency security council meeting which had in attendance the state Director of the State Security Service (SSS), acting commissioner of police in the state, Commander of the Air Force Base, and Commander of the 4 Mechanised Brigade.
Sources close to the meeting said it believed the robbers were those dislodged from other parts of the Niger-Delta by the special security task force called Operation Restore Hope. It was gathered that the police authorities were sending a reinforcement of 1,000 mobile policemen to Benin to beef up security there.
The Benin monarch, Omo N’oba Erediuwa, was also said to have met with the Deputy Inspector General of Police for the zone to discuss the matter.
However, the state Assembly said it was not happy at "the killings going on in the state. We are not happy at all because the police have failed us in this state," and hoped that "lives and property of citizens of Edo State are protected."
And in an interview, retired DIG Osayande said: "Government has the responsibility of protecting its citizens. So, if there is no security, it means the government has failed in their functions in all ramifications. Do not blame the police, government is supposed to enhance police output and performance which they are not doing. Rather, they get dispatch riders and oppressing people on the road to give them way. We are supposed to have voted them into power but they are playing gods now. When you bring policemen from other states to come to Edo now, for instance, and beef up security, and you do not give them accommodation, they are not paid their allowances, nobody cares what is happening to their families, so what do you want them to do?"
Continuing, he said: "I have not said the police is not up to the task, but you cannot give me penknife to fell a timber. That would be an impossible task. Government should come out and beef up the police operational logistics and of course the police should sit up. I understand they have not been paid their allowances and that is why they go out to collect money from motorists instead of doing their jobs. That should not be the case. Do you think the British police will be treated that way? No way. I have been there before and when we were wearing the uniform as Nigerian police, I was very proud of it, but today things have changed."
