The Edo State Government has said that the recent arrests by the State Police Command of seven persons in connection with the murder of Prof. Paul Otasowie, a lecturer with the University of Benin, as well as killers of three police officers who also kidnapped Andy Ehanire, the Chief Executive of Ogba Zoological Garden, justify Obaseki’s insistence on a new commissioner of police for the state.
While commending the new Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, the state government, through the Special Adviser, Media and Communication Strategy to the Edo State Governor, Crusoe Osagie, stated that the security challenges in Edo required a highly experienced operational police officer at the helms of affairs and that it is quite gratifying that Kokumo has since hit the ground running, “a result of which is the large hurl of arrests in barely 48 hours of his assumption of duty in Edo State”.
Otasowie, a senior lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, was on October 4 killed by gunmen in Ekehuan area, in Oredo Local Government Area of the state.
The deceased, who was the Director of the institution’s Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme, was said to have been shot in front of his residence.
The police explained that seven out of those principally responsible for the killing have been arrested and each has given useful statement to the police. The police further stated that four suspects in the murder of three police officers and the kidnap of Ehanire of have been arrested.
The police, through Moses Mkombe, the force public relations officers, said that the command is still on a manhunt for the rest other members of the group.
“Each of them has spoken on the role he played in the crime and we have been able to extract useful information from them. We are currently on a manhunt for the other members of the gang,” Mkombe said.
Obaseki, on Wednesday received the new Commissioner of Police of the state command, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, at the Government House in Benin City.
Obaseki pledged his administration’s support for the new police commissioner to enable him succeed in his new assignment.
The governor urged the new police boss to urgently change the security plan he inherited to curb crimes in the state.
Thw new CP advised criminals to relocate from Edo State as it will no longer be a haven for their activities.
“I want to assure you that Edo State will no longer be a haven for criminals. I advise them to leave the state. Edo people and residents of the state should go to sleep with both eyes closed because there will be proper policing both in the day and at night,” he said.