Edo lawmaker backs speedy trial of kidnappers

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The Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District, Joseph Ikpea, has endorsed Governor Monday Okpebholo’s proposal for the speedy trial of suspected kidnappers and cultists in Edo State, saying prompt punishment would serve as a deterrent to criminal elements.

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Ikpea, in a statement issued on Saturday from his Ewatto country home in Esan South-East Local Government Area and made available to journalists, also commended the governor for the crackdown on kidnapping syndicates operating in parts of the state.

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He particularly praised the rescue of a woman abducted at the popular Vegetable Market in Benin City and the arrest of a member of the gang involved in the incident.

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The Edo State Police Command, alongside Okpebholo, had on Thursday paraded suspected kidnappers, including one of the suspects linked to the Vegetable Market abduction.

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During the event, the governor said he would facilitate the establishment of a special court to conduct speedy trials of suspected kidnappers and cultists, adding that he would sign the death warrants of those convicted and ensure their public execution at the Ring Road roundabout in Benin City, the state capital.

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Reacting to the development, Ikpea commended the support Okpebholo has been providing to security agencies in tackling insecurity across the state and lauded the efforts of security operatives in ensuring the safety of residents.

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According to Ikpea, “Governor Okpebholo’s prompt directive to the Edo police to fish out the perpetrators of the Vegetable Market kidnap incident, immediately after the Sunday incident in Benin City, and the response of the police and other security agencies that led to the rescue of the kidnapped woman and the arrest of a member of the gang is highly commendable.”

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The senator added that the governor’s swift action “is a clear signal to criminal elements around the state that nowhere is safe for them and a huge confidence booster for the citizens of the state that they are safe.

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“As the senator representing Edo Central, I reaffirm my support and determination to collaborate with the state government in ensuring that Edo Central is safe.

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“I am also committed to working with my fellow senators in the other senatorial districts to collaborate with the state government to ensure security in all parts of the state,” Ikpea reassured.

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The senator reiterated his earlier call on indigenes and residents of the state to make security a collective responsibility.

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“When everyone is involved in the business of security, all the bad elements in the state will either repent or relocate as they would have realised that Edo State is no safe haven to criminals.”

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