A member of a local vigilante group in Benin City has been taken into custody by the Edo State Police Command for reportedly killing an artisan and burning his body.
Moses Yamu, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, reportedly revealed this in Benin City on Sunday.
Yamu stated that after receiving a distress call from members of the public at approximately 8 a.m. on February 20, 2025, the suspect was taken into custody by agents of the Textile Mill Road Division. According to him, the Textile Mill Divisional Police Officer was notified that a middle-aged man’s body was found burning beneath sawdust.
He claims that on Thursday, February 20, 2025, at around 8 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Textile Mill road division received a distress call from people who reported seeing a middle-aged man’s body covered in sawdust and burned.
“The DPO mobilised and deployed his operatives to the scene and actually found the corpse burning under the sawdust.
“They took the corpse to the hospital, but, they, however, found that there was a gun shot injury on the back of the deceased’s neck.”
“Investigation has already commenced, and we have one suspect in our custody who is the security person of the sawmill at the time the incident happened”, he said.
According to Yamu, the matter has been forwarded to the State Criminal Inquiry Department for further inquiry, with the assurance that the suspect will face murder charges upon completion of the investigation.
Reporters learned that the deceased, Lasan Osaze Erhabor, reportedly disagreed with the aforementioned local vigilante member.Additionally, it was learned that the deceased was reportedly returning home late that night with a buddy when the suspect attacked them on the road close to the sawmill on that fatal day.
It was reported that the suspect, who was allegedly carrying a double-barrel gun, asked the deceased why he was late in returning. Additionally, the suspect was accused of calling the dead a thief and accusing him of going to the sawmill to steal.
It was also discovered that the suspect pulled out his revolver and fatally shot the deceased during the interrogation. He allegedly collected the sawdust at the milling company and lit the deceased’s body on fire after dragging him from the side of the road into the sawmill.
