Killer policemen now guests at Oko Prison

By EBEN ENASCO KINGSLEY,
Benin City

MIFFED by the extra-judicial killings in the state, the Edo state Commissionerof Police, CP Chris Ezike has disclosed that fourpolicemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, (SARS) Lagos Police Command, have been remanded at Oko prison in Benin City, for allegedly killing a car dealer, Benson Obodeh on the 21 May, 2015.
The State Commissioner in an interaction with journalists on the incident said the four policemen were arrested after Homicide Detectives from Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, Abuja took over the case.
The names of the policemen involved in the heinous act are: Adedeji Adeleke (33), Oniyo Musa (35), Abena John (33) and HenryShobowale (32). They went to Edo State on a pretext of investigating areport on a stolen car and arrested the late Benson Obode on May 21 without a defined complainant.
National Daily had exclusively reported the death of the victim in its 27 July, 2015 edition after the family have been so much tossed around by the police in Edo state over the where about of Benson. After 63 days, the victim was murdered at the police cell in Benin City and his corpse dumped at the Specialist Hospital Mortuary, Benin City and used a different in order to thwart the family being able to detect his remains.
However, on the 24 July, 2015, the former Lagos state spokesperson, DSP Kenneth Nwosu in company of DSP Amadin and O/C SARS, Lagos Adejobi disclosed to National Daily that Benson Obode died from (phantom) mob attack when the police wanted to arrest him in Benin City.
DSP Kenneth had said, “It was a case of mob action and the police had to rescue him and on the way to the hospital, he died and the corpse has been deposited in the mortuary in Benin City.
“We are investigating the circumstances that led to his death as well as the result of the autopsy,” Nwosu added. But when confronted with whether the police arrested any of the mobs that beat him to death, DSP Nwosu added, “All these are subject of investigation.”
When the elder sister, Mrs Izehi Osaruwa spoke to our reporter in Benin disclosed that his younger brother was with cash of N200, 000, two ATM cards First and Eco banks ATM respectively; his I.D card, wallet and an unregistered 306 Peugeot car (ash colour) given to him by a friend to sell when he was arrested.
However, National Daily investigations revealed that the four policemen took the suspect’s First Bank ATM card; after forcefully obtaininghis pin number and withdrew N330, 000 in four days from the deceased account in Port Harcourt, Rivers State leaving a balance of N1, 754.15. A bank statement obtained by our reporter revealed that on the 23 May, 2015; two days after Benson was killed in Benin City, an ATM transfer of N30, 000 was made at the First Bank Port Harcourt, Artillery branch about 11:04 pm to one Fasasi Adesina Kazeem.
COMPOL Ezike revealed that the four policemen were tried, and
dismissed from the Force and charged for murder on October 19, 2015 as the case file has been forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution for onward legal advice and prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command has paraded 52 criminal suspects apprehended in the state over alleged offences ranging from armed robbery, conspiracy, kidnapping, murder and cultism.
He warned criminals to either relocate from the state or be prepared to face the full wrath of the law. Among the suspects were Anuke Godwin, 47, Baboo Henry, 27, Benjamin Aaron,28, and Oba Oduaron, 40 alleged to have trailed their victim from a bank and robbed him of the sum of N1.5million in Benin City.
Recovered from the criminals include 19 AK47 rifles, three T06 rifles and 41 AK47 magazines among other items. The criminals admitted committing the crime.