Edo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the killing of seven persons on Friday during a communal clash between the people of Gbelemonti and Maidoti communities in the Ovia South West Local Government of Edo State, with the police also arresting a member of the Edo State Vigilante group who shot dead and set ablaze a victim he falsely accused of being a thief out of malice due to misunderstanding the vigilante member had with the deceased; just as the new commissioner of police, Enekpen Otimenyin subjects police personnel in the state to retraining.

According to Daily POst Newspaper, the Edo State Police Command arrested a member of a local vigilante in Benin City for allegedly killing an artisan and setting his corpse ablaze.

The Public Relations Officer of the Command, Moses Yamu disclosed this on Sunday in Benin City, according to the news media.

Yamu said the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Textile Mill Road Division following a distress call received from members of the public at about 8am on February 20, 2025.

He said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Textile Mill division received a call that they saw a corpse of a middle-aged man laying under sawdust and burning.

According to him, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Textile Mill road division received a distress call at about 8am on Thursday, February 20, 2025, from members of the public that they saw a corpse of a middle-aged man covered with sawdust and set ablaze

“The DPO mobilised and deployed his operatives to the scene and actually found the corpse burning under the sawdust.

“They took the corpse to the hospital, but, they, however, found that there was a gun shot injury on the back of the deceased’s neck.

“Investigation has already commenced, and we have one suspect in our custody who is the security person of the sawmill at the time the incident happened”, he said.

Yamu said the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for in-depth investigations assuring that at the conclusion of the investigation the suspect would be charged to court for murder.

Daily Post reported that the deceased identified as Lasan Osaze Erhabor was said to have had disagreement with the said local vigilante member.

Adding that on the fateful day, the deceased was said to be returning home late in the night with his friend when they were accosted on the road near the sawmill by the suspect.

The suspect who was alleged to have been armed with a double-barrel-gun was said to question the deceased why returning late.

The suspect, was also alleged to have labelled the deceased a thief and accused him of coming to steal in the sawmill.

It was further learnt that, during the interrogation, the suspect brought out his gun and shot the deceased to death.

He was to have dragged the deceased from the road side into the sawmill where he allegedly gathered the saw dust in the milling company and set his body ablaze.

Meanwhile, “In her quest to rid the State of crime, the Commissioner of Police, CP Betty Enekpen Isokpan Otimenyin, directed for the immediate retraining of personnel to enhance their operational capabilities to tackle the challenges ahead.

A total of one hundred and sixty (160) personnel have so far been retrained in 2 batches covering the following areas:

i. VIP Escort
ii. Ambush and Counter Ambush
iii. Musketry
iv. Combat Craft
v. Tactical Retrogression Movement
vi. Search and Rescue, etc

The Commissioner of Police charged the personnel during the closing ceremony of the training for the second batch to be vigilant, courageous in the swift response to security breaches, while upholding high professional standards devoid of harassment, intimidation and extortion.

The Command reassures all indigents and residents of the state of Police readiness to deliver improved effective and efficient service under her watch”, said Moses Iyamu.

Iyamu in another press release about the update on the communal crisis between Gbelemonti and Maidoti communitities, said: “On 21 February 2025 at about 10am, the Command received a distress call of an ongoing clash between Gbelemonti and Maidoti Communities of Ovia South West Local Government Area.

Operatives of the Iguobazuwa Police Division, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and the Vigilantes, were promptly deployed to the area.

The team evacuated some casualties to the hospital where seven persons were confirmed dead while six injured ones are currently receiving treatment.

The joint operation is sustained as the situation has been brought under control and normalcy restored.

However, investigation into the cause of the clash has equally commenced.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Betty Enekpen Isokpan Otimenyin has vowed that no stone would be left unturned in order to unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate and avoidable incident and warned members of the public to always channel their grievances to the appropriate authority, rather than taking laws i to their hands”.

In another incident, Police have arrested a man who killed his wife at Upper Mission Extension area in Benin City on Saturday.

The Edo State Police Spokesperson, Moses Iyamu said: “On 22 February 2025 at about 10pm, information was received that one Kelvin Izekor of number 50 Upper Mission extension, Benin-City has killed his wife named Success Izekor aged 38 years and was about to be lynched by an irate mob.

Operatives of the Aduwawa Division swiftly responded to the report and met the lifeless body of the woman lying in the pool of her own blood with deep cuts on her head.

It took serious efforts by the Police operatives to pacify the mob, rescue, and take the suspect into custody for investigation. The victim was removed and rushed to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, CP Betty Enekpen Isokpan Otimenyin, decried the recent cases of spouses being violent against each other while assuring the public of diligent investigation into the death of the woman and whoever found culpable would be dealt with according to the law”.