A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Edo State under the banner of Network of Civil Society Organizations of Nigeria (NOCSON) on Thursday issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Edo State Police Command to publish the names of all the suspects that escaped from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on New Year Day and details of all of the police officers on duty on the day of the incident.

Issuing the ultimatum in Benin City at a press conference, the Acting President of NOCSON, Comrade Ogbidi Emmanuel, and Director of Publicity, Comrade Bevy Efe, said they were shocked that such incident could happen in the most secured police facility in the state without any external attacks, adding that they smell sabotage and that they were not encouraged by the report they got when they visited the state command on a fact-finding mission.

The group added with the cell break at the SCID, it had become clear that the break into the two correctional facilities during the #EndSARS protest was not done by the protesters alone and therefore demanded that the state government should set an inquiry into the two jail breaks.

“That the Edo State Police Command must within forty eight (48) hours publish the names, photographs and information of all the escapees on both local and national prints and electronic media, declaring them wanted,” NOCSON demanded.

It also requested the Edo Police authorities to “detain and isolate all officers that were on duty, including the senior officers that had dealings with the cell twenty four (24) hours before the incident, as we cannot rule out their possible contact with the criminals on the run. And their identities be made known to the public.

“That NOCSON insists that there is more to this than meets the eyes. We, therefore, call on the Governor of Edo State Mr. Godwin Obaseki, as the Chief Security Officer of the state to as a matter of urgency constitute a panel of enquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent jailbreak in the two correctional centres in Edo State as we believe is unconnected to the End SARS protest,” it added.

It urged the Nigeria Police Force to “do everything possible to ensure effective policing in Edo State and put internal mechanisms in place to prevent future occurrence and strive to restore the confidence of Edo people in the police.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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