Police arrest local vigilant for allegedly killing artisan, setting corpse ablaze in Benin

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a member of a local vigilante in Benin City for allegedly killing an artisan and setting his corpse ablaze.

DAILY POST reports that the Public Relations Officer of the Command, Moses Yamu disclosed this on Sunday in Benin City.

Yamu said the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Textile Mill Road Division following a distress call received from members of the public at about 8 am on February 20, 2025.

He said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Textile Mill division received a call that they saw a corpse of a middle-aged man laying under sawdust and burning.

According to him, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Textile Mill road division received a distress call at about 8am on Thursday, February 20, 2025, from members of the public that they saw a corpse of a middle-aged man covered with sawdust and set ablaze

“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.

Yamu said the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for in-depth investigations assuring that at the conclusion of the investigation the suspect would be charged to court for murder.

DAILY POST gathered that the deceased identified as Lasan Osaze Erhabor was said to have had disagreement with the said local vigilante member.

It was also gathered that on the fateful day, the deceased was said to be returning home late in the night with his friend when they were accosted on the road near the sawmill by the suspect.

The suspect who was alleged to have been armed with a double-barrel-gun was said to question the deceased why returning late.

The suspect, was also alleged to have labelled the deceased a thief and accused him of coming to steal in the sawmill.

It was further learnt that, during the interrogation, the suspect brought out his gun and shot the deceased to death.

He was to have dragged the deceased from the road side into the sawmill where he allegedly gathered the saw dust in the milling company and set his body ablaze.