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The youths alleged that police operatives were providing cover for the suspected kidnappers, killers in the state.
Some angry youths have set a police station ablaze in Agenebode, the headquarters of Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The torching of the facility is as a result of allegations of kidnappings and killings in the area by suspected hoodlums. The residents claimed that the police were providing cover for the suspected hoodlums.
The incident that led to the carnage according to a resident was the case of a young boy who was said to have been kidnapped some weeks ago and after ransom was paid, he was still not released.
According to the report, the community youths were able to track the phone and the user was subsequently arrested and handed over to the police, in the process, the user was traced to a community leader in the area.
Not happy with the way the police were handling the matter, the youths of the community reportedly forced their way into the police station and took away the suspect who led them to the house of the community leader where on interrogation allegedly confessed to them that several kidnapped victims have been killed and buried in shallow graves after parts of their bodies have been harvested.
The angry youths dug out the decomposing body of the young man in the compound of the said leader who had reportedly fled with his family and in the process of digging up the decomposing body, they discovered what was believed to be several bones belonging to human beings.
In retaliation, the youths were said to have burnt down the building and then the business centres of several non-indigenes in the area, killing some of them and then storming the police station and setting it ablaze.
One of the youths was quoted to have said, “Enough is enough, this must stop, police kill our children and still collect money from us, these kidnappers will kidnap our children, collect money and still kill them. They will collect, N2.5 million sometimes N3 million from us and still the victims.”
The Chairman of the Council, Mrs Benedicta Atoh is currently meeting the youths to find last solution to the crisis, this was confirmed by the media aide to the chairman.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 5, Arungwa Udo and the Commissioner of Police in the State Nemi Edwin-Iwo have also visited the place apparently to restore order and have an on-the-spot assessment
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Command, Moses Yamu, told journalists that the police will come out with a statement on the matter as soon as the facts have been established.
