Emotions are now high among residents and officers as well as men of the Edo state police command as tragedy occurred following the mysterious deaths of four policemen attached to the Sabongida-Ora Divisional Police Headquarters in Owan West local government area of the state.

The charred bodies of the burnt policemen on duty were discovered on Saturday evening in the area.

Besides the killing of the officers, their bodies were also found to have been burnt along a patrol van with which they had gone for the day’s duty.

It was not certain who carried out the heinous crime and what may have happened to the deceased policemen and the actual time the dastard act was committed.

It is feared that they have been victims of unknown gunmen.

The policemen were said to have been killed at a roadblock mounted at the popular Uzebba-Aviosi junction along Ifon road in Sabongida-Ora area of the council.

The perpetrators had after killing the policemen, lined them up inside the patrol van before setting them on fire.

Residents of the area were said to have confirmed that they did not hear any form of gunshot nor exchange of gun fires between the dead officers and perpetrators of the wicked act.

Shocking as the incident seems, there is unravelled theory that the officers may have been killed by unknown gunmen as the perpetrators zoomed off with their guns.

A source close to the community said it was not clear what may have happened to the policemen.

According to the source who claimed to be a resident of the area, “Nobody can really explain what happened because there was no sound of gunfire, we saw police van burning and only realized, on a closer look, that there were four policemen burning inside.”

He stated that “The people responsible must have planned this thing as they carried out the job neatly. How do you explain the killing of the officers and loading their dead bodies on their van and setting the van ablaze.”

The source noted that “This checkpoint has for long been in existence and we have never experienced anything of such not even exchange of gunfire in the area. We are at a lost as to what must have happened and how it occurred. It is even more confusing as there was no incident of armed robbery around the area on Friday or Saturday.”

The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Babatunde Kokumo, when contacted on the ugly incident said he cannot speak on the matter as he was in Ekiti State on an official assignment for the Governorship election in the area but promised to speak soon.

Kokumo said, “I am on a special election duty in Ekiti State, so, I cannot give any official information on that now.”

As at the time of this report the identities of the affected officers were yet to be made known.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor could not be reached for comment on the matter.

•Culled from New Telegraph

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