Edo Police Crack Down on Palliative Rice Looting, Arrest Two Suspects
In a swift response to the recent looting in the Urora community, Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, the Edo State Police Command has apprehended two suspects. Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, disclosed this during a press briefing in Benin on August 4.
A viral video had surfaced on August 1, showing residents looting rice from a truck parked at a warehouse in Urora, sparking claims that the warehouse belonged to the Edo state government. However, Dr. Irekpono Omoike, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Edo chapter, set the record straight.
Omoike stated, “The vandalized location belonged to a vendor contracted by Edo CAN’s implementation committee for the Christian feeding program, not the Edo state government.”
He explained that the Christian feeding program aimed to distribute relief materials to vulnerable Christian groups and was funded by the Edo state government with N2 billion.
Omoike emphasized, “There is a wrong notion circulating that the rice being distributed by the Edo State government is rice supplied by the Federal Government and re-bagged. This is misinformation.”
Rev. Osagie Ehrunmwunse, Secretary of the CAN’s implementation committee, confirmed that the truck in the viral video belonged to a logistics company distributing the rice. He noted that the truck had a breakdown the previous night, and the rice was meant for various vulnerable groups.
Meanwhile, Jarret Tenebe, Edo Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of diverting Federal Government palliatives, leading to hunger in the state.
Tenebe urged residents to hold Obaseki responsible for the hardship and vote for the APC governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, in the upcoming election.
“Obaseki has refused to acknowledge or give account of the various financial grants and other palliatives his administration has received from the Federal Government. Instead, he’s blaming his failure on fictional stories.” he said.
