Adebayo Adenrele
The Edo State Police Command has uncovered twenty mummified bodies in a ritualist’s den, along Ekehuan Road-axis of Benin City.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro, stated that that the Command unravelled the den and apprehended three suspected ritualists on wednesday.
Yaro said the raid was in line with the Command’s operational mandate of curbing crime in the state.
In his words, “Following credible information at the Command’s disposal that some corpses were discovered in a building along Asoro slope off Ekehuan Road, Uzebu Quarters, in Benin City, operatives of the Command immediately swung into action and mobilized to the scene.”
According to him, three suspects were arrested at the scene, namely: Chimaobi Okoewu ‘M’ and Oko Samuel ‘M’ both of Afikpo in Ebonyi and Gideon Sunday ‘M’ of Akwa-Ibom State, while other suspects fled.
Yaro added that the Police has launched an intensive manhunt to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
Among the corpses discovered at the suspected ritualist’s den in Benin were 15 dried male corpses, 3 female corpses and 2 children corpses.
He noted that the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Command Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been directed to carry out a discreet investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the discovered corpses.
The Police Commissioner thereby enjoined members of the general public to be calm as the command will continue to ensure the safety of all law-abiding citizens and those residing in Edo State.