Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Youths and motorists in Urokuosa community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area in Edo State, blocked the road yesterday to protest against incessant insecurity on the Benin-Auchi-Lokoja Road.
The protest, which was the second in less than a month, forced long vehicular queues on both sides of the road and left commuters stranded for several hours.
It was gathered that the protest was provoked by an alleged attack of a Toyota Sienna space bus by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday, which left many passengers injured.
The protesters claimed that a driver of a popular transport company was shot dead last week along the road and threatened not to vacate the road until the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki or the Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu showed up.
Edo police rescue six kidnapped victims, arrest two suspects The Punch
Adeyinka Adedipe, Benin
Six victims kidnapped along the Benin-Ekpoma Expressway were rescued on Thursday by men of the Edo State Police Command, while two suspects who allegedly took part in the abduction were also arrested.
The victims were said to have been abducted around 6.40pm on Wednesday in a Toyota Sienna on their way from Ekpoma to Benin.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Kontongs Bello, in a press release on Thursday, said the two suspects Abdulkarim Kazeem and Odoh Chukchekua both aged 40, were arrested for their roles in the incident.
It was also learnt that police at Egba Division, acting on information, mobilised patrol teams comprising military and vigilante groups for a bush combing and rescue of those kidnapped.
It was further gathered that the kidnappers, while leading their victims into the thick forest, on sighting the police engaged them in a gun battle around Obadan forest and in the process abandoned the victims and escaped.
The state command spokesperson, who confirmed the incident, said two of the suspected kidnappers were arrested.
He said during the gun battle, the hoodlums abandoned all the six people they had kidnapped including the driver of the vehicle and fled into the bush.
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