Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo, on Monday in Benin, promised that the state government would rebuild all the police stations burnt across the state during the recent EndSARS protests.
Obaseki, who gave the assurance when he paid a solidarity visit to the police command in the state, also assured that government would buy new vehicles for the smooth operations of the personnel.
“We have already ordered for patrol vehicles and we hope that the delivery will be in a few weeks. This is in addition to rebuilding all the razed police stations immediately.
“We will be responsible for the hospital bills of every police man or woman who had been hurt as a result of the incident of the last few weeks,” he said.
The governor also promised that his administration would ensure that necessary assistance was given to the police in the state, within the limit of the available resources.
“The EndSARS protesters, whom I asked you to give protection to, were the legitimate ones, and not those attacking police stations, Oko prison and Sapele road prison and their property.
“The people, who did all these, were criminals and they should be treated as such.
“I’m here today to assure you of our support. Criminals cannot take over our state, under whatever guise. They should not intimidate you and you should not allow your morale to be dampened.
“The criminals cannot win; we know them. We have dealt with them in other places.
“They called themselves lions and tigers in the political sphere. They have so many friends who are just mere criminals; who don’t want to work hard but just to prey on those working hard in our society. We will not allow them,” Obaseki said.
He assured that government would work with the police to ensure that every inmate, who escaped from the correctional facility in the state, was re-arrested.
“They thought they had destroyed all the documents by burning down all the evidence but they didn’t realise that their biometrics data are being held out of that premises.
“We have all of them and we are going to work with you in this regard.
“We have data on their next of kin and everybody they have lived with in the past; we are going to go after everyone of them in all the communities they have lived in; we will get all of them re-arrest.
“They will not spend Christmas with us; they are going to spend it where they are supposed to spend it.
“For those who stayed behind, even when the prison gate was thrown up, I am going to look at their case files carefully. Those who should not have been there (correctional centre) in the first place, will all be given necessary debriefing.
“Let me reassure you that Edo people love and respect you all. We will support you and we are going to demonstrate that in many ways,” the governor said.
Earlier, Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Johnson Kokumo, said that 11 police men and women were injured, seven police stations razed, 16 police patrol vehicles burnt, five police officers’ personal vehicles burnt and 31 exhibit vehicles either burnt or destroyed.
Kokumo, however, said that seven AK-47 rifles had been recovered, with 126 suspects arrested during the EndSARS protests.
