The Edo State Security Network has apprehended four suspected armed travellers in Benin City, recovering a cache of weapons including three Dane guns, six empty cartridges, three half-filled cartridges, four cutlasses, and two daggers.
The suspects, identified as Yusuf Abdulkarim, Mujaheed Garba, Shittu Idris, and Jamilu Habibu, were intercepted at Ikpoba Hill while travelling from Doguwa in Kano State to Uvbe Community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to CSP Moses Joel Yamu, spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, preliminary investigations suggest the suspects are hunters, not herdsmen, as initially rumored on social media.
The police command has urged residents to verify information before sharing to prevent panic and ethnic tension.
This incident comes barely a month after 16 armed travellers were lynched by locals in Uromi, sparking widespread concern over the influx of armed individuals into the state. The police have assured that investigations are ongoing.
