Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have arrested one of the suspected ballot snatchers who killed two voters at a polling unit during the February 25 general elections.
The suspect, Ehiozomwangie Omoregbe, 34, and his gang invaded the polling unit on the Benin-Sapele road in Ogheghe community in Ikpoba Okha LGA and snatched ballot bosses for their unknown principal.
The hoodlums shot into the voting centre to disperse voters; however, a stray bullet hit three voters including Mrs Elizabeth Owie and Idahosa Festus Ekhuorutomwen, who died on the spot while the last one miraculously survived.
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Late Idahosa, 25, was a graduate of Material and Mythological Engineering from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, while Elizabeth was the mother of three children.
Edo police have been hunting for the perpetrators since 25 February, and through intelligence gathering by the Anti-kidnapping and Cybercrime Unit, Omoregbe was arrested.
Other identified suspects now at large include Ernest Skube, Aimienogho, popularly called Adviser, Victor, also called Junior Ajaka and one Festus.
The suspect who was arrested on 17 May 2023, claimed that their intention was to snatch boxes but that one of his gang members instead of shooting into the air directed his gun at people.
“I was with my friends in the evening of 25 February 2023 when they were quarrelling with one of us that instead of shooting into the air, here just used the nozzle of the gun to face people in the crowd. They accused him of killing people. It was not the intention to kill anyone but to snatch the ballot boxes,” he said.
Spokesperson of the command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the arrest saying, “I want to assure the people that other persons named in the murder of the two persons will be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law,” the PPRO added.
