#EndSARS: Stay off Edo, Delta streets, police warn

The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 5, Mr Sholla David, has warned troublemakers under the guise of #EndSARS protest to stay off the streets of Delta and Edo states.

The AIG in charge of the two states also assured the people of police resolve to restore public confidence.

He advised parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to eschew crimes and criminality and avoid the temptation of joining criminal elements in perpetuating violence, killings, looting and destruction of public and private property.

On his part, the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Babatunde Johnson Kokumo, said several arrests have been made, explaining that only hoodlums, and not EndSARS protesters, were arrested.

According to him, the attack on warehouses on Saturday was evidence that the protesters were now hoodlums and arsonists and that any of them caught would be treated as such.

Meanwhile, following the burning of government’s property across the southern states, soldiers and other security operatives have taken over protection of government’s buildings in Edo as part of efforts to secure the property in the state.

The development, it was learnt, is in reaction to a voice message that went viral in which unidentified person threatened that government buildings in the state would be attacked. It was observed that soldiers have taken over the state Secretariat housing most government ministries and departments located on Sapele Road.

It was also observed that one of the lanes was completely closed to traffic while the road behind the building, while also leads to the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Department of State Services (DSS), the police state command and State Ministry of Agriculture has been completely shut to traffic.

Also, the road leading to a private warehouse in the Government Reservation Area has been closed to traffic following the burgling of government warehouses in Benin City.