By Our Reporter
Tension escalates as suspected hoodlums broke into a newly constructed police station at Ugbineh community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The criminals reportedly looted furniture, electrical cables, and fittings from the police station.
The police station, constructed through communal efforts to address security challenges in the area, suffered significant vandalism just as the community was preparing for its inauguration.
Pa. Sunday Iyoha, a senior community elder, expressed dismay over the incident, emphasizing that the station was built to enhance security in Ugbineh.
“As we were planning to inaugurate the project, criminals invaded the police station and vandalized equipment in the building,” Iyoha lamented.
In a dramatic response, community elders enlisted the services of traditional priests to invoke curses on those responsible. The traditional rites, which reportedly involved sacrificing animals at strategic locations within the community, saw the priests marching through Ugbineh, calling on God and the ancestors to punish the perpetrators.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, SP Moses Yamu, stated that the police had received reports of the vandalism and initiated an investigation. He revealed that tactical units had been deployed to the crime scene and its surroundings in a bid to apprehend the suspects.
“We are meeting with community leaders on this unfortunate incident, while tactical teams have been deployed to comb the crime scene and its surroundings for possible arrests,” Yamu said.
He added that Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in neighboring areas had been alerted to stay vigilant for the suspects.
The police spokesperson also called on the public to provide information that could aid in tracking down those involved in the looting.
