The Edo State Police Command has taken eight individuals into custody in connection with the killing of a site engineer, Efe Ogbeide, amid a leadership crisis in the Obazagbon community, Benin.
Police spokesperson Moses Yamu confirmed the arrests on Thursday, identifying Joshua Edo, the chairman of the community youths, as the prime suspect.
Other individuals arrested include Obayuwana Happy, Uhunwangho Everest, Chidera Umeh, Simon Benjamin, Odion Adagbonyin, Kennedy Ohro, and Osayi Adagbonyin.
Yamu explained that officers from the Iyekogba Division’s Operation Rescue and Anti-Kidnapping Unit apprehended the suspects at different locations.
According to him, the conflict arose from a leadership struggle over the roles of chairman and traditional head (Okiaghele), leading to multiple fatalities and the destruction of property worth millions of naira.
Edo State Commissioner of Police, Betty Isokpan, condemned the violence, assuring residents that all those involved would be held accountable.
She reaffirmed the commitment of security agencies to maintaining peace and protecting lives and property.
The killing of Ogbeide has sparked outrage among civil society groups. On Tuesday, the Network for the Advancement of People with Visible Disabilities (NAPVID) and the Edo State Civil Society Organisations staged a protest, demanding justice.
NAPVID’s executive director, Melody Omosha, described Ogbeide as a dedicated engineer and expressed concerns that, as a deaf individual, he might not have heard any warnings before the attack.
The advocacy groups called on authorities to ensure justice is served and urged for better protections for persons with disabilities in the state.