According to the source, the attack was ignited by the allegation that some suspected herdsmen were kidnapping and killing people of the community for organ harvesting, and were allegedly being protected by the police.
The Edo State Police has confirmed an attack on a police division and some suspects at Agenebode, the Etsako East Local Government Area headquarters by irate residents of the community.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Moses Yamu, who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters on Monday, said the incident happened on Sunday when the attackers stormed the police station, set it ablaze along with some suspects accused of kidnapping and killing.
The police spokesperson said the police command was still investigating the incident and could not confirm the number of suspects burnt to death, exact level of damage done to the station or the allegation that the irate residents attacked the police station over alleged cover-up of suspects caught by community members for kidnapping and organ harvesting.
“I can confirm to you that the Police Division at Agenebode in Etsako East Local Government Area was attacked yesterday and the station was set ablaze. But the situation is currently under control. Some suspects of alleged kidnapping and murder were burnt but we are still on an on-the-spot and fact-finding assessment and I will give you all the facts when we are done,” Yamu said.
Meanwhile, The PUNCH reported that a source from the community familiar with the incident said several persons were killed and vehicles inside the police station were burnt.
According to the source, the attack was ignited by the allegation that some suspected herdsmen were kidnapping and killing people of the community for organ harvesting, and were allegedly being protected by the police.
The community source was quoted as saying, “The incident that led to the issue was the case of a young boy who was said to have been kidnapped some weeks ago and after a ransom was paid, he was still not released. It was later discovered that he was killed.
“The youths in the community were able to track the phone and the user was arrested and handed over to the police. The user was traced to the head of the Fulani community in the area.
“Apparently not satisfied with the way the police were handling the matter, the youths stormed the police station and took away the suspect, led him to the house of the Fulani leader where on prodding, he allegedly confessed to them that several kidnapped victims had been killed and buried in shallow graves after parts of their bodies were harvested.
“The infuriated youths dug up the decomposing body of the young man in the compound of the leader of the Fulani who had fled with his family and in the process of digging up the decomposing body, saw several bones believed to be those of human beings.
“In anger, the youths burnt down the building and then the business centres of several other Hausa/Fulani youths and then stormed the police station and set it ablaze.”
Another resident of the community was quoted as saying, “Enough is enough. This must stop.
“The police kill our children and still collect money from us. These kidnappers will abduct our children, collect money and still kill them. They will collect N2.5m, sometimes N3m from us and still kill the victims.”
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