…As officials take stock of lost items, escaped Inmates.
BY OKHIDE EM’YA DAVID
It was a field day for hoodlums at the Nigerian Customs warehouse at Aduwawa axis of the Edo State capital (Benin) on Tuesday evening when they broke into the facility, carting away many valuables including thousands of bags of seized foreign rice, lace materials, cartons of frozen chicken and fish.
Also carted away by the Hoodlums were seized Cans of Various brands of vegetable oil, bales of second hand clothes also known as “Aloko or Bend down Boutique Accessories.’
Although no life was lost many sustained several degrees of injuries as they competed in the looting.
The hoodlums, had hidden under the #EndSARS protest, defying the 24-hour no movement curfew imposed by the state government to break into the Nigeria Custom Service warehouse.
The scenario soon degenerated into free for all as residents in the neighborhood and adjoining roads soon capitalized on the attack to join in the looting, as they were seen carting away what they could carry from the warehouse unhindered.
Some residents in the area have however strongly condemned the criminal act saying they had hoped by Wednesday Morning normalcy would have returned to Benin while anticipating that the State government in response will also reduce the hours of the curfew to night time alone.
A landlord, Isaac Idahagbon and another resident Madam Ivie Otibhor said the attack has obliterated the cordial relationship between the Nigerian Customs Office in Benin and the people adding that the attitudes of some youths have abused the whole essence of the #EndSARS protests.
As at the time of this report the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwanbuzor could not be reached for comment as several calls put across to his cell phone were left unanswered.
However, the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, had after a meeting of the Security Council of the State, presided over by the Governor, Mr. Godwin Olaseni, said the Command was on top of the situation and assured law abiding citizens of adequate protection.
He warned Parents and guardians to keep their Children and wards indoors.
Top Officials of Federal Prisons Oko (Correctional Centre) have commenced stock-taking of lost items and escaped Inmates.
A visit to the Facility by our Alltimepost.com correspondent saw relics of burnt items including vehicles, Kiosks, property, during the deadly attack on Monday by hoodlums who hijacked the #EndSARS Protests.
Investigation revealed that officials of the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs and key personnel of the Nigerian Prisons, also known as Correctional Center from Abuja were expected to pay on the spot visit to the two prisons affected during the invasion by the hoodlums in Benin.
Heavily armed hoodlums under the guise of the EndSARS Protesters had invaded two centers on Sapele and Airport roads within the state capital and freed about 1,936 inmates of Oko Centre, razed down 2 Police Stations and ransacked 2 others.
An anonymous source at the Oko correctional Center said the officials on guard were overwhelmed by the surging crowd of hoodlums who took over the entire facility and neighborhood, wondering the Prisons were not adequately secured judging from history of Jail breaks at Protests in the State.
His words: “I thank God that we are alive to tell the story. We called for backup from the military and other sister security agencies when information got to us that the hoodlums were marching to Oko prisons, but no response of any kind.
“We were ordered from above not to shoot into the armed hoodlums who fired at us. So after exhausting our bullets we scampered for safety. That was how I ran for my dear life”
