By Williams Anuku Abuja
The #EndSARS protest took a dramatic turn in the early hours of Monday in Edo State as suspected hoodlums believed to have hijacked the protest burnt down the Idogbo police station in Ikpoba-Okha local government of the state and invaded two correctional centres, set free the inmates of the Benin Central and those at the Oko Federal Correctional Centres.
The protesters trooped out in thousands in different entry points into the Edo State capital including the main gate of the Ugbowo Campus of the University of Benin, the Ekenwan road leading to the Ekenwan campus of the University of Benin, Enyaen area of Auchi road, Ekhae areas of Sapele road, ADP area of Airport road among others.
Prison Break season 6 in Benin, Nigeria atm. #ENDSARSpic.twitter.com/ORlWV954Fl
— KOJO Prempeh (@Mr_Anane_) October 19, 2020
The protesters who were and are still making burn fire with used tyres in major roads and streets of Benin are calling for the immediate resignation of the president.
This led to a total lockdown in Benin City and all the adjoining towns and villages while school children and their teachers and other categories of workers who reported in their offices, including market women that got to their places of work as early as 7 am have been stranded as they could not find their way back home.
As at the time of this report, no casualty has been recorded but the Edo State Police Commissioner, Johnson Kokumo said he has taken over the operation to put down the revolt.
The police commissioner confirmed the incidents of jailbreak and said he was personally handling the situation to ensure that it doesn’t get out of hand.
He said “I am personally handling the situation so that it will not get out of hand.
” It is true that a police station has been torched and they are making attempt to open the prisons and I don’t know whether these atrocities are being carried out by the genuine protesters or the hoodlums who have hijacked the protest. We will not allow them, we are on top of the situation” .