Edo: Police Arrest Two Suspects Over Controversial Looted Rice

The Edo State Police Command has announced the arrest of two suspects in connection with the looted palliative rice that was found in a parked truck in the Urora community near Benin City.

Daily Post reports that Funsho Adegboye, the Commissioner of Police, disclosed this at a press briefing in Benin City.

Recall that on August 1, the day of the commencement of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest, a viral video of residents looting rice at the truck packed at the warehouse at Urora quarters in Uhunmwonde LGA surfaced in several social media platforms.

In the 40 seconds video, the residents were seen and heard saying that the warehouse allegedly belonged to state government.

Most of the residents were seen carrying more than one bag of 10kg rice.

The development led to a war of words between the Edo State Government and the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the ownership of the rice.

While the State Government denied ownership of the rice, it, however, blamed the viral video on the APC.

On its part, APC said the viral video has allegedly exposed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s deliberate plan to deprive Edo people from accessing the different palliative measures.

Tenebe, who spoke at a press briefing in Benin City, alleged that there are also reports that substantial part of the rice are being sold in markets by a prominent PDP market woman leader.

“If Edo people were ever in doubt, the video that emerged in the social media today, where an abandoned trailer load of repackaged Federal Government rice with Edo State Government inscription was discovered by Urora residents, has exposed Obaseki’s deliberate plan to deprive Edo people from accessing the different palliative measures.

“We have intelligence of several warehouses in the state, hoarding rice and other grains met for Edo people. There are reports also, that substantial part of the rice are being sold in markets by a prominent PDP market woman leader,” he stated.

The APC chairman, opined that the offence of the Governor amounted to economic sabotage which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission must take note of.

However, several hours after accusations and counter-accusations between the Edo State Government and the APC over the ownership of the rice, the state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, finally claimed ownership of the rice.

The State chairman of CAN, Irekpono Omoike, in a statement, said the vandalized residence where bags of rice were looted by hoodlums in Urora is owned by a vendor contracted by the association’s implementation committee for the Christian Feeding Programme.