BENIN CITY – Again, the Edo State Police Command has admitted that some suspected criminals escaped from its lawful custody at the command headquarters in Benin City on New Year Eve.
The police command’s admittance was contained in a release endorsed by its spokesman SP Chidi Nwabuzor as posted on its WhatsApp page on Monday, January 4, 2021.
The unfortunate escape replicated that of January 2012 when no fewer than nine suspected kidnappers and armed robbers dramatically freed themselves from the then Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) maximum cell at the police command headquarters in Benin City.
The 2012 incident occurred as the then CP Umar Manko was settling down in the state after taken over from his predecessor CP David Omojola on Monday, January 16, 2012.
It was reported then that the escape was made possible after the hardened suspects used handsaw to cut the cell window iron protector.
They were said to have engaged in a noisy and worship session to subsume the sound from the cutting the iron protector that fateful night.
Briefing journalists on the incident, CP Manko said “two of the suspects have been re-arrested and security beefed up at every exit point in the state”.
According to the release, New Year Eve suspects escaped from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) maximum cell
as they were detained on the order of the court,
“Edo State Police Command wishes to inform the members of the public that ten suspects escaped on the 1st of January, 2021 at about 0245hrs (2:45a.m) out of which two have been re-arrested and brought back to custody”. The statement read in part.
It however stated that some policemen who were responsible for the custody of the suspects had been identified, arrested and detained for departmental disciplinary process.
The command solicited for information that could lead to the re-arrest of the escaping suspects as police had intensified efforts towards tracking them down.
Unlike the 2012 SARS cell break, the command did not reveal how the suspects managed to escape under the watchful eyes of armed personnel at the gate of the cell and within the police command headquarters.
A source hinted our reporter that the suspects may have connived with some operatives to drug the policemen on guard during the 2020/2021 cross over celebration.
It was said that friends of the cell senior inmates popularly known as “STATE” and “O/C gate” had donated drinks for the purpose of the cross over bash.
They were said to have shared with the operatives on guard who forgot to properly padlock the cell iron protector at the door as dosed off after the merriment.
The suspects were said to have strolled out of the cell when they observed that their plot had worked out perfectly.
It was also gathered that the command is investigating a suspected conspiracy among the operatives who were on duty during the incident as no facility was damaged before the suspects escaped.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Inspector General of police in charge of Zone 5 AIG Sholla David frowned at the incident and ordered discreet investigation.
AIG Sholla visited the affected cell at the police command headquarters yesterday.
