EDO CP SAVES OFFICERS FROM ANGRY MOB.



By: Mike ALADENIKA




What would have resulted into another #Endsars protest was, on Friday, averted in Benin City as the Edo State Commissioner of  Police,  PHILIP OGBADU saved two police officers from being lynched  by an  angry mob.

The incident which happened about 9:30am at the Obakhavbaye street  junction of Oba market road in Oredo Local Government Area saw some angry residents, in hundreds. holding on to one  police officer, out of the five officers that intercepted, collected a phone and the sum of N10,000 from a young boy who was presumed to be a Yahoo boy.

But for the quick intervention of Edo State commissioner of Police who, literarily, saved the situation.

It was gathered that the officers forcefully collected the boy's android phone and  the sum of N10,000 at TV road area of Benin metropolis.

The young boy, (name withheld), while narrating his ordeal to the residents and passersby, said the police officers who drove in a dark colored  Sienna vehicle with no registration number  stopped the  Lexus Jeep  with registration number Edo RRU 350 NE at TV Road in which he was driving and collected his android phone and the sum of N10,000.

According to him, "they stopped me at TV road. Immediately they stopped the vehicle I was driving, in company of my sisters, they took my android phone and N10,000".

"They demanded for my vehicle documents  which I presented to them. Having found the documents to be complete, they still entered the vehicle. They didn't tell me my ofence. Probably, they think I was into internet fraud."

"They also destroyed one of my sister phone", he said.

The young boy said
the police officers who were five in number said they were from the Anti-cultism unit of the Edo State police command headquarters, Benin City.

It was further gathered that the police officers, after much resistance from the boy, abandoned the Lexus Jeep and the occupants at the Obakhavbaye street  junction of Oba market road and zoomed off with the phone and the money.

Trouble, however, started when, one of the officers was unfortunately left behind.

In solidarity with the boy and his sisters, traders, passers-by and other residents, held the officer hostage promising not to release him until his colleagues return the android phone and the money.

The scene, was however, tensed up, when one of the other officers came back trying to forcefully rescued their colleague.

A threat by one of the officers to shoot at the crowd further infuriated the resilient residents, who insisted that the officers must produce the items before allowing him to go.

The officer, was, however, also held hostage by the residents along with his colleague.

The crowd who comdenmed the action of the officers noted that if urgent steps were not taken by the state government and the police authorities, another round of #Endsars protest may be inevitable.

Meanwhile, as tension  gathered memontum, the state commissioner, Philip Ogbadu  stormed the scene with his men. He calmed down the residents and handed over the items to the young boy and his senior brother, who owned the vehicle.

After the commissioner's intervention, the officers were seen at the Oba market discussing the incident.

The officer that was held hostage  after the incident, was heard explaining to his colleagues why he was unable to escape with them immediately after the incident.
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