By JOSHUA ODEYEMI

The Edo State Police command has rearrested 10 inmates who escaped from the Benin Medium Custodial Centre and Oko Medium Custodial Centre, in Benin, the Edo State capital.

Six of the escapees were rearrested for alleged armed robbery while one was arrested for attempting to kill the prosecution witness who testified against him in Court.

The 10 inmates were among the 126 paraded suspects arrested for looting the Nigeria Customs Service’s warehouse, Central Medical Store’s warehouse, Olam Nigeria PLC Private Warehous, and Blessed Doris-Dey Warehouse along Benin-Agbor Road.

Parading the suspects, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumon, said 28 suspects were arrested for looting customs’ warehouse, 45 arrested for looting medical store, 13 for looting Olam, 16 for looting Dorisday warehouse.

He gave the names of the rearrested escapee inmates as Emmanuel Udoh, Friday Etim, Victor Akpotor, Lucky Precious, Osarumen Enoragbon, Patrick Eguavoen, Abraham Matthew, Endurance Ifobuow, Mohammed Adamu and Henry Atadi.

He said Henry Atadi, after escaping from the prison, snatched a Lexus car and was arrested at Okada with the car.

He said Eddy Favour, Patrick Eguavoen and Abraham Mathew stole Lexus saloon car ES 330, with registration number Abuja: KWL 205 AZ, after escaping from prison and sold the car at Igueben, in Igueben local government area of the state.

He said they were arrested with the buyers after selling the car.

‘No truth in it’

Speaking with journalists, Atadi, denied stealing the car, saying that he was only given a lift after they were set free from the prison by hoodlums.

He said: “After we were set free, I didn’t have money to go home.

“So, as I was waiting for a vehicle, someone gave me a lift but when we get to Okada, police stopped us and the man that carried us suddenly disappeared and I was arrested.”

Also, some of those arrested for stealing palliatives denied the offence, saying they were arrested for violating curfew declared by the state. (Daily Trust)