Tension erupted in Agenebode, the headquarters of Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, as enraged youths set a police station ablaze, accusing authorities of complicity in the killing of community members. The unrest was reportedly triggered by the death of two local youths, who were allegedly shot by the police, and the release of suspected kidnappers believed to be responsible for the deaths of over five victims in the area.
The youths, frustrated by what they saw as a failure of justice, stormed the police station, forcibly removing a suspected kidnapper from custody. The suspect was brutally beaten and set on fire in an act of mob justice. The angry mob also destroyed more than six vehicles within the police station’s premises.
In a related act of vigilante retribution, the community members raided the homes of suspected kidnappers, unearthing five corpses buried in shallow graves beneath one suspect’s house. The discovery further inflamed tensions in the already volatile situation.
Edo State Police Command spokesperson, Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident, acknowledging the arson and the killings. He condemned the acts of violence and promised that the command would release an official statement. Yamu urged the community to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, stressing the dangers of jungle justice.
