Edo police brutalise protesting youths

Men of the Edo State Police Command have taken over the gates leading to the State Secretariat and Palm House where most ministries and parastatals are housed to prevent the aggrieved ex-workers of Edo YES programme from sealing off the two buildings as was the case on Monday.

Though the gates to the two high rise buildings were thrown open, the fierce-looking, heavily armed policemen ensured that the protesting workers did not get close to the offices.

However, the aggrieved workers wondered vowed to continue to gather at the premises of the two buildings until they are re-absorbed into the civil service.

They accused the state government of using them to gain victory at the last general elections only to dump them after.

They called on Governor Adams Oshiomhole to have a rethink especially now that they have no alternative source of livelihood.

Meanwhile, some of the Edo YES workers have accused men of the Nigeria Police in the state of inflicting various degrees of injuries on them.

According to some of them, like Stanley Omoregbe and Osaro Osula, instead of being protected by the Police, they were given beatings of their lives which landed many of them in the hospital.

Displaying their injuries, the protesters said the police were with them while they matched through the streets in Benin, only for the police to turn around at the gates of Government House where they had gone to make their grievances known to the governor, to unleash mayhem on them.

They appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase and the State Commissioner of Police, Samuel Adegbuyi to call their men to order.

Reacting to the allegations of police brutality on the protesting youths, Police Public Relations Officer, Edo State Command, DSP Stephen Onwochei said the allegations were unfounded.

He however said that the protesters who were initially peaceful turned violent at Government House and tried to force themselves into the premises, even when the gates were locked.

The Police Image maker said after appeals to the protesters fell on deaf ears, the police had to stop the protesters from taking over the Government House.

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