Three male suspects have been arrested by the Edo State police command after a ritualist shrine was raided at Asoro hill, off Ekenhua Road, in the Uzebu neighborhood of Benin city in Edo State.
In a statement released on Thursday, the state’s deputy police public relations officer, Jennifer Iwegbu, said that operatives of the force made the arrest after receiving information from the general public.
She claimed that during the operation, officers from the Edo State Police Command removed 20 mummified bodies from the shrine.
Two of the accused, Chimaobi Okoewu and Oko Samuel, are natives of Afikpo in the Ebonyi State, while Gideon Sunday is a third suspect. Police officers are working to capture any additional fugitive suspects connected to the incident.
The 20 found corpses include two infants, three women, and 15 men, according to the deputy police spokesperson.
“Following credible information that some corpses were discovered in a building along Asoro slope off Ekenhua Road, Uzebu quarters, Benin city, Operatives of the command immediately mobilised to the scene,” the statement read.
“At the scene, three suspects, Chimaobi Okoewu ‘M’ and Oko Samuel ‘M’ both of Afikpo in Ebonyi and Gideon Sunday ‘M’ of Akwa-Ibom State were arrested while others fled. An intensive effort is ongoing to arrest the other fleeing suspects.
“15 mummified male corpses, 3 mummified female corpses and 2 mummified children corpses were discovered at the scene.”
Reacting to the development, Abutu Yaro, the commissioner of police for Edo State, gave the SCID deputy commissioner of police instructions to conduct a covert investigation to determine what led to the discovery of the bodies.
He also urged everyone to maintain their composure, telling them that the Police Command will continue to protect all law-abiding people and those living in the state.
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