Aftermath of looting, soldiers guard government buildings in Benin

To forestall further arson on public buildings in Benin City, Edo State capital, soldiers have been drafted to protect such buildings and other government establishments that are prone to attacks.

The proactive step,  Tribune Online gathered, was a response to an audio clip which has gone viral in the state, in which the unidentified voice indicated that government buildings would be torched across Edo State.

This was just as the Edo State Commissioner of Police (CP) Johnson Kukumo announced that the Command had arrested many of the arsonists who burnt down some police stations in the state on Monday, October, 19 when the #EndSARS protest in the state turned violent.

Checks by Tribune Online on Sunday showed that fully armed and battle-geared military personnel had taken guard of major government buildings, and the state secretariat, popularly called Palm House, along Sapele Road, Benin City.

The soldiers completely cordoned off one of the lanes, just as they completely closed the road behind the secretariat, linking the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), the police state command and state Ministry of Agriculture, to vehicular and human traffic.

Also closed to traffic was the road leading to 4 Brigade Headquarters of the Nigerian Army along the Benin Golf Course Road, where a privately owned Osula Warehouse, is located. Attempt to loot the warehouse on Saturday was foiled by armed personnel of the National Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC.

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Edo Police Commissioner who announced the arrest of the arsonists and looters at a strategic meeting with the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, Zone 5, Mr Shola David, stressed that only hoodlums and not #EndSARS protesters had been arrested.

Kokumo reiterated that the attacks on warehouses in Benin on Saturday reinforced the theory that the looters were hoodlums and arsonists, adding that any those caught would be treated as such.

“Three police stations were razed, some police vehicles were also burnt in so many cases, exhibit vehicles were also burnt. But we thank God there have not been any casualty of death of police personnel,” the CP disclosed.

According to him, “We have made several arrests and we are still out to make more arrests; arrests of hoodlums, not protesters, so those who have attacked police formations, those who have set police stations on fire, those who set police patrol vehicles on fire, exhibit vehicles on fire, those who have physically assaulted police officers will not be treated as protesters but hoodlums and we are still on their trail.”

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Meanwhile, the AIG Zone 5 has warned lawbreakers to stay off the streets and Edo and Delta states; the two states under the Zone.

AIG David, while giving the warning shortly before a strategic security meeting by selected senior officers of the zone, urged law-abiding citizens to go about their legitimate businesses, as the Zone was determined to restore public confidence.

Mr David said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, had directed the police to occupy all their areas of operation to provide security.

“The IGP, however, warns trouble-makers not to test the collective will of the nation by coming out to cause any further breakdown of law and order. To this end, I appeal to the law-abiding citizens of Edo and Delta States to go about their lawful businesses that the Police will do all within their statutory powers to ensure the protection of lives and property,” he assured.

He advised parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to eschew crimes and criminality and avoid the temptation of joining criminal elements in perpetuating violence, killings, looting, and destruction of public and private property.