Police arrest 2 hunters for allegedly shooting, injuring funeral guests in Edo

By Osaze Obaze,

The Police Command in Edo says it has arrested two hunters who allegedly shot and injured six persons at a funeral at Ama Community, Esan South-East Local Government Area.

This is contained in a statement by SP Kontongs Bello, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Benin, on Sunday.

Bello disclosed that the suspects committed the offence on Friday.

The statement read in part: “On 25/06/2021 at about 1900hrs, Police Command in Edo through the Divisional Police Officer, Agbede Division, CSP Iredia Ogiata, received information that there is an ongoing shooting at Ama Community.

“On receipt of the information, the DPO swiftly mobilised police operatives from the Division to the scene of the incident.

“On arrival, preliminary investigation revealed that the duo used a double-barrel gun to shoot at six persons in the community during a burial ceremony of one late Martina Rabi.

“Investigation further revealed that the duo, who are hunters, followed the corpse from Ubiaja in Esan South-East Local Government Area to Ama community where the corpse was expected to be buried.

“On getting to Ama community they were, however, said to have fired gunshots into the air which resulted in the damage of the community electricity cable,” the statement said.

It added that youths of Ama community on noticing that it had destroyed their electricity cable confronted the particular person that released the shot that caused the damage.

“In the cause of the argument, he shot at them injuring six persons.

“The injured persons are currently receiving treatment at Irrua Specialist Hospital.”

The statement said the Commissioner of Police, Edo, CP Phillip Ogbadu, had warned that no one had the power to threaten other people’s lives.

“He enjoins the good people of Ama community not to take laws into their hands as an investigation into the incident has since commenced.” (NAN)