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Speaker 1: Edo State Governor Monday ot Pepolo on Monday visited Carno

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State to sympathize with the people of the state over

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the last Thursday killing of travelers at a Romi town

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in the Essen Northeast Local government area of Edo State,

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when some youths in the Edo community that have been

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experiencing incessant killings and abductions of the villages by suspected herders,

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stopped a moving Dangote cement truck and found the travelers

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to be in possession of nineteen locally fabricated guns, which

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some members of the public claimed the travelers were hunters

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traveling from Port Harcourt in Rivers State to Carno with

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the guns alleged to be licensed. This the Nigeria police boss,

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the Inspector General of Police IGP, car Yode Eggbato Can

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apparently dismiss the allegations that the Dane guns were licensed

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and probably described the victims to be in possession of

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illegal firearms and thus warned and directed anyone in possession

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of illegal firearms to surrender such to the nearest police

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station and directed the Deputy Inspector General of Police in

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charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department FCID dig Sadi

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Kabubakha to take over the case, with reports indicating that

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the fourteen suspects arrested in connection to the mobbing and

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burning to death of the travelers, said to be sixteen

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in numbers, may have been transferred to Abouja for police investigation.

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A video made available on Saturday indicated that the victims

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were buried at a cemetery in Aromi, with a background

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voice in the video saying the death toll rose to nineteen,

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suggesting some of the victims that were rushed to the

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hospital could not survive the attack. While the Edo State

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governor visited Carno State, the Governor of Carno State, Aber Yusuf,

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and the Nigerian Bar Association NBA in the state urged

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the government of Edo’s state to pay compensation to the

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families of the travelers mobbed and bird to death. Governor Yusuf,

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who spoke while hosting his Edo counterpart Monday ob Pepolo,

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called for the prosecution of the suspects and urged the

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state government to disclose their identities and compensate the families

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of the deceased. This is a serious tragedy that must

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not be overlooked. We expect prompt prosecution of the suspects

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and adequate compensation to the families affected by this act

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of brutality, Governor Yusef stated. The Carno State Branch of NBA,

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in a statement issued by its chairperson Usmanfari, described the

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incident as a heinous act that must not go unpunished.

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The government of Edo’s State must take full responsibility for

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this tragic incident. Those involved must be prosecuted for murder

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and the government must provide adequate compensation to the families

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of the victims, said Fari. We appreciate the maturity and

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patience of Karno residents for not resorting to retaliation or

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reprisal attacks. Justice must be pursued through legal and appropriate channels,

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the NBA added. Meanwhile, Governor ok Pepholo, while speaking during

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the visit, condoled the government and people of Carno State

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and North West Nigeria over the incident. I am here

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to console the people of Karnos State and the affected families.

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We are not happy with what happened. We are saddened

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by it, ok Pepolo said. He lived at Byadi Yadi

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area in Karnos State before and narrated how he enjoyed

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tremendous support from the northern community during his electioneering. Governor

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ot Pepolo had earlier visited the Deputy President of the Senate,

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Barrau Gibrin over the killings and said fourteen suspects arrested

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over the incident would be moved to the Police Force

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headquarters in Abuja to ensure a thorough investigation of the incident.

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After visiting the Deputy Senate President, Governor ot Pepholo tweeted

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on his ex social media handle and stated that today

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I visited the Deputy Senate President, Senator Baraujibrin at his

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residence in Abuja to reaffirm my commitment to ensue during

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justice for the tragic killings in Aromi Edo State. So far,

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fourteen suspects have been arrested and will be transferred to

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Abouja for further interrogation. This barbaric act is unacceptable and

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both the Edo State government and the Federal government under

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the directive of President Bola Ahmed t Enubu, are taking

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swift and decisive action to bring all culprits to book.

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We have also set up a committee to support the

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victim’s families. Currently, iron My team a meeting with the

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Carno State Governor to further address concerns and strengthen peace efforts.

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Justice must be served. Edo State stands for peace, unity

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and security. The Nigeria Police Force, in a statement issued

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at the weekend by the force Public relations Officer Olomi

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had A Joby, indicated that the Inspector General of Police IGP,

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car Yode Adelu Egbato CAN has strongly condemned the violent

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mob action carried out against a group of travelers by

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a local vigilante group along the Aromi Hobijana Road in

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Edo State. The group of individuals, who were traveling in

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a truck and claimed to be hunters, were found in

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possession of nineteen nineteen locally fabricated firearms. When intercepted by

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the vigilantes, who were not satisfied with the excuse of

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being hunters to be in possession of such number of arms,

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concluded they were kidnappers. Regrettably, without allowing for due process

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or proper investigation into their claims, the vigilante group subjected

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some of them to unlawful mob justice, resulting in tragic consequences.

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In immediate response, the Edo State Police Command deployed operatives

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to the affected community, restoring law and order. So far,

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fourteen fourteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident,

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while a man hunt has been launched for other perpetrators

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involved in the mob action. The IGP has directed the

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Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the Force

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Criminal Investigation Department FCID dig C D. Kabubaka to take

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over the case and insure a thorough, impartial and expedited investigation.

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He assured the public that the Nigeria Police Force remains

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committed to upholding the rule of law and will not

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tolerate any form of unlawful killings or extra judicial actions

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under any guise. The IGP further appeals for calm and

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urges members of the public to cooperate fully with the investigation.

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He emphasized that anyone found culpable will be made to

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face the full weight of the law. Additionally, while condemning

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the resort to jungle justice, the Nigeria Police Force reiterates

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that the unlawful possession of firearms remains a criminal offense

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under Nigerian law. Individuals in possession of unlicensed firearms are

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advised to report to the nearest police station to surrender

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such weapons or initiate the appropriate licensing process. The Force

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war the public to desist from taking the law into

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their hands and encourages the prompt reporting of suspicious activities

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to lawful authorities. The police statement ends. Earlier, the Edo

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State Command of the Nigeria Police Force narrated how the

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incident occurred when the local vigilante group members intercepted a

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Dangote cement truck and found the travelers to be in

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possession of guns. In a statement issued by the police Command,

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spokesperson Moses Yamu indicated that the Edo State Police Command

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has condemned the killing of some armed travelers in a

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trak at Udu Nafandian community along Aromi Abajana Expressway, Edo

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State on the twenty seventh of March twenty twenty five.

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The incident occurred when the truck with registration number KKF

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two hundred and twenty five XA, coming from Portharcourt, conveying

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twenty five travelers from a Lela, a suburb of Rivers State,

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was accosted by some vigilante group members at Aromi and

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some of the travelers, who found in possession of locally

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made Dane guns, were arrested. While this was ongoing, some

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vigilante members raised an alarm of them being suspected kidnappers,

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which led some members and passes be in the community

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to attack and lynch sixteen sixteen of the occupants while

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the truck conveying them was equally burnt. Police operatives attached

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to the Aromi Division got wind of the incident and

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swiftly stormed the scene, where ten of the travelers were

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rescued two two of whom sustained various degrees of injuries

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and were rushed to a hospital where they are currently

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positively responding to treatment. In the course of investigations, fourteen

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fourteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime,

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while an emergency meeting was convened with stakeholders and members

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of the community to address the situation. In the meantime,

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a unit of police Mobile Force personnel with other command

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tactical teams have been deployed to the area to forestall

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breakdown of law and order. While the Commissioner of Police

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reiterates the need for peaceful coexistence among various groups and

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urges residents to remain calm and cooperate with the police

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as investigations continue. She also cautioned against any form of

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reprisal attacks or unlawful gatherings that may further escalate tensions.

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The Edo State Police Command statement ends. The Benin Solidarity

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Movement BSM Worldwide has condemned the bearing of firearms by

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the travelers while condemning the jungle justice melted on them.

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The group, in a statement signed by Curtis Ego so

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Bugbo and oss and Ossahai good Luck, President and Secretary

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of the Benin Solidarity Movement BSM Worldwide, made available to

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newsmen in Benine’s city, said that there are so many

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questions to be asked. According to the group, those who

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are supporting the action of the travelers apprehended at Aromi

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should tell the whole world why they were bearing arms

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and entering Aromi with arms, whether the action of the

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gunmen is not a premeditated plan to invade a Romi

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and its neighboring communities. They also urged the supporters of

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the gunman weather Dangotte trucks conveying the gunmen is a

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passenger vehicle also let them explain whether Southerners living in

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the northern part of the country can carry firearms illegally.

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Why did they refuse to submit themselves to search when

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the vigilantes wanted to search them, but rather stabbed one

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of the vigilantes instead of submitting to the search. Why

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were they carrying arms into Aromi? What is the guarantee

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that they were not coming to invade Romi and other

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communities in Edo State? While calling on the politicians whom

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they alleged to be supporters of the gunmen, to refrain

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from making inflammatory statements. They called on the security agencies

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to investigate the alleged supporters of the gunmen accosted at

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Aromi with a view to determining their involvement or collaboration

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with kidnappers and bandits that are now invading communities in

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Edo’s state, and called on a Romi people to be

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vigilant as some unscrupulous elements may want to invade the

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community under the guise of reprisal. We had reported that

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the men of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a

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twenty seven years old man who Dama were for killing

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and cutting off the head of a forty three years

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old man a doob or Lawrence, who live in the

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same Ebutubu quarters with him when the victim was returning

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from bury old ceremony at one o’clock midnight. According to

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the state owned television station Heado Broadcasting Service EBS, for

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the purpose of money ritual which Luck ran against him.

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When police and vigilante members on patrol intercepted him, he

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ran abandoning the polythene bag containing the fresh human head

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and he was subsequently arrested after the security operatives gave

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him a chase. We have reported that another set of

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Edo farmers named Lucky Salami and Julius Aroa have been

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maketed to death at Eware community in the Hetsaco West

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local government area of Edo State by attacks the villages

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suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, days after suspected herders killed

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other farmers in the state and Era Heguary Opekpe among others,

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with the kinsmen of the current senator representing Edo North

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who was once the governor of the state, Comrade Adams

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Oshio Mold calling on the government to rescue them from

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Fulani herdsmen they claimed irresponsible for the frequent attacks both

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on lives and the destructions of their farm lands in

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the Edo North Senatorial District often known as a Femi land.

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We had reported that the Edo State Governor, Monday og

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Pepolo has blamed militants and herders over the killing of

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twenty four persons in Meidote Bellamonte, among other five villages

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in the Ovia South West Local government area and Ogpekpey

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in the Edsaco East Local government area of Edo State.

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Says he has deployed more troops to the affected communities

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with aide. News media showed on the spat assessment video

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footage of some residents fleeing the communities as Another report

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indicated that a little boy was also killed on Friday

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at eguarey Arua in the Essen Central Local government area

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of the state. We had reported that the immediate past

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Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obosseki, has sent some words

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of sympathy to the people of Oppekpe community in the

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Etsaco East Local government area of Edo State following the

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killing of two persons batimw Philippe Kamo and Christopher Bellow

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by suspected herdsman on Monday, calling on the state Governor

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Monday Okpepolo and other authorities responsible for the security of

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the state to act swiftly, just as the Council Chairperson

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in charge of the local government, benedicta Atta, raised alarm

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that if the state government fails to act fast, the

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entire north Immy people may be wiped out by the

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suspected Fulani herders. With another report of the head of

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the vigilante group in Era community in the Owen East

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Local government area of the state, Victor Ojendibay, also killed

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in cold blood by attackers suspected to be Fulani herdsman. Previously,

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we reported that the Edo State Command of the Nigeria

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Police Force has confirmed the killing of seven persons on

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Friday during a communal clash between the people of Bellamonte

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and meido Te communities in the Ovia South West Local

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government of Edo State, with the police also arresting a

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member of the Edo State Vigilante Group who shot dead

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and set ablaze a victim he falsely accused of being

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a thief out of malice due to misunderstanding the vigilante

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member had with the deceased. Just as the new Commissioner

230
00:14:35,159 –> 00:14:38,840
of Police a Neck Panotomenian subjects police personnel in the

231
00:14:38,879 –> 00:14:47,720
state to RETRAININGI quindi nimoigical