By John Ugo
Edo State government is yet to respond barely seven days after the people of Agor Emokpae community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of the state protested over the killings and abduction of about 12 persons by gunmen.
It was learnt that residents of Agor Emokpae had last Wednesday protested to the Edo State Government House over the alleged killing of three members of the community and the kidnap of 12 persons.
But reacting to the incident, the Edo State Police Command on Tuesday said it has launched a full scale investigation into the abduction of the 12 persons which included school children and the killing of three others.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, disclosed this to newsmen in Benin City.
During the protest, Commander Egua, the spokesperson of the community, urged the state government to put in the spirit, commitment and determination that it invested during the recent rescue of the Igueben train station attack by gunmen.
Egua explained that the bus conveying their children who were coming back from school and other market women was attacked by suspected gunmen who took it into the forest.
He said the gunmen who appeared from the bush killed three of their persons already while others are still being held captive.
According to him, “I am commander Egua, commander in charge of Agor Emokpae environ under Edo State Security Network .
“Yesterday, as at 3pm, when our children were returning from school from the neighbouring community, the Herdsmen invaded the road, took our children even the bike men that went to take them from the school, they were also kidnapped in the process.
“One minibus that was also taking passengers to the nearby community was stopped and the passengers were also kidnapped.
“As we speak, 15 persons have already been kidnapped and three of them have already been killed by the herdsmen.
“So, we have come to solicit the help of the government because we heard of an incident that happened at Igueben where about 20 persons were kidnapped, they mobilized all the security agencies in the state in freeing their hostages.
“So, the government should rise up and act fast”, he said.
When asked if the kidnappers have contacted them for ransom, he said “the information we just got before we left the community, a woman that was also kidnapped in the community has called her family saying the kidnappers have asked her to bring N20m”
Another protester, Esther Matthew, appealed to the state government to help rescue her husband from the hands of the kidnappers
“I am here to beg our governor, our father, to help me.
“They have kidnapped my husband and my son and my brother who went to rescue them, they have also killed him. We have seen his dead body”, the 28 years old woman.
Also lamenting the abduction of her children, Mrs Gift Omoruyi said her two children were also kidnapped
“My two children were coming from school when they were kidnapped. The boy is 13 while the girl, is 15”, she said
