An alleged suspect , Franklin Ediagbonya , involved in a land dispute between Iguadolor and Iguotor communities in 2017 in Edo state has been declared wanted after escaping with other inmates in Oko correctional facility in Benin city.
The suspect along with other other several numbers of inmates escaped from Oko correctional facility following an attack on the facility by protesters of the October 2020 ENDSARS protest across the country.
It will be recalled that in 2017 the community leader in Iguotor community, Sunday Uyigue ,who arrested Franklin Ediagbonya , had encroached on a large plots of land belonging to Iguadolor community thereby creating communal crisis between the two communities.
The Nigerian Observer gathered that Franklin Ediagbonya who was the youth leader in Iguadolor community in 2016 was implicated in the crisis for mobilizing youths in his community against the neighbouring Iguotor community leading to massive destruction of lives and property worth millions of naira.
Confirmed report made available to the Nigerian Observer revealed that the community leader in Iguotor community, Sunday Uyigue who was a prominent cult member of the Eiye confraternity was behind the arrest and subsequent incarceration of the Franklin Ediagbonya ,who information revealed rejected request to accept Eiye confraternity membership .
According to information made available to the Nigerian Observer, the arrest and detention of Franklin Ediagbonya on August 25th for several months after his preliminary trial however continued without proper trial as he was remanded in Oko prison facility pending the commencement of his trial.
His 3 months remand from 2017 ,it was gathered, however continued into October 2020 without trial when the EndSARS nationwide protest broke out across the entire country leading to destruction of property ,public buildings and businesses worth millions of naira across the country.
Oko correctional facility in Benin city was also not spared during the nationwide protest against police brutality and bad governance in the country as several inmates whose identities are yet to be established escaped from prison as protesters in their thousands broke prison walls and released inmates.
Meanwhile, the community leader in Iguotor community, Sunday Uyigue has promised to award a ransom of 1 million naira to anyone who has any useful information that could lead to the arrest of Franklin Ediagbonya while the authorities of the Nigerian Police have said that while it was compiling the list of names of inmates who escaped during the nationwide protest , suspects who were awaiting trials for varying offences are by this very important notice to report or hand themselves over to the police at any nearby police station or risk the possibility of long term imprisonment when rearrested.
It further added that a combined team of security operatives including the police and other relevant agencies of government would launch a manhunt for all the fleeing inmates across the state and beyond with a view to rearresting them.
