By MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ENIN CITY – An angry mob set ablaze, the residence of a police officer alleged to have ordered the arrest and torture which resulted in the death of his tenant in Benin City on Tuesday.The embattled cop, who was identified as SP Austin Ehiziegbe, said to be serving at the office of the state commissioner of police, command headquarters, Benin.
Contacted, in a swift response the Commissioner of Police, Edo State CP Johnson Kokumo said: “I don’t have any orderly called Austin. In fact, I am not in the picture.”
The deceased, Glory Imarogie, a professional tailor was living with his father who rented a flat in the policeman’s house.
His bereaved father, Mr. Joseph Imarogie, a retired police officer stated that an altercation which ensued between his children and the policeman landlord during a birthday party of his granddaughter resulted in the arrest, detention and torture of the deceased and his brother.
He alleged that his policeman landlord invited his colleagues who stormed the party and whisked his two children away to the state police command headquarters where they were detained, tortured until they were granted bail last Friday, April 20, 2018.
It was further alleged that the boy, after being granted bail was admitted to a local hospital when his health was observed to have greatly deteriorated. The boy ended giving up the ghost.
The news of his death which filtered into the area yesterday morning triggered a mob action at the residence of the policeman which was allegedly burnt down.
Thick smoke billowed from the policeman’s apartment in the two-flat building on Evbuomoma Road, Off Sapele Road, Benin City about 11am, yesterday, Tuesday, April 24, 2018.
Furniture, electronics and other household property were not spared by the inferno.
The attackers had left the scene before the arrival of some policemen said to be operatives of the state police command headquarters in Benin City.
