Police arrest one of the ballot thieves who killed two voters in Edo

Officers from the Edo State Police Command arrested one of the suspected ballot thieves who kill two voters at a polling station during the February 25 general election.

The suspect, Ehiozomwangie Omoregbe, 34, and his gang invaded the voting unit on the Benin-Sapélé road in the community of Ogheghe in the LGA of Ikpoba Okha and ripped off voting bosses for their unknown principal.

The thugs fired on the polling center to disperse the voters; however, a stray bullet hit three voters including Mrs. Elizabeth Owie and Idahosa Festus Ekhuorutomwen, who died instantly while the last one miraculously survived.

Late Idahosa, 25, had a degree in material and mythological engineering from the Federal University of Technology in Akure, Ondo state, while Elizabeth was a mother of three.

Edo Police have been searching for the perpetrators since February 25, and through intelligence gathering by the Anti-Kidnapping and Cybercrime Unit, Omoregbe was arrested.

Other identified suspects currently at large include Ernest Skube, Aimienogho, commonly known as Counsellor, Victor, also known as Junior Ajaka and a certain Festus.

The suspect who was arrested on May 17, 2023, claimed that their intention was to snatch boxes but that one of his gang members instead of shooting in the air pointed his gun at people.

“I was with my friends on the evening of February 25, 2023 when they were arguing with one of us who instead of shooting in the air here just used the nozzle of the gun to face people in the crowd. They accused him of killing people. The intention was not to kill anyone, but to steal the ballot boxes.” he said.

Command spokesman SP Chidi Nwabuzor confirmed the arrest to the Daily Trust.

“I want to assure people that others named in the murders of the two people will be fished out and face the full wrath of the law,” the PPRO added.