Our Reporter

Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki on Monday promised that his administration will rebuild all the police stations that hoodlums torched during the recent EndSARS protests.

Obaseki, who spoke when he visited the police command, also assured that government would buy new vehicles for the smooth operations of police personnel.

“We have already ordered for patrol vehicles and we hope that the delivery will be in a few weeks. This is in addition to rebuilding all the razed police stations immediately.

“We will be responsible for the hospital bills of every policeman or woman who had been hurt as a result of the incident of the last few weeks,” he said.

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The governor also promised that his administration would give necessary assistance to the police within the limit of the available resources.

“The EndSARS protesters, who I asked you to give protection to, were the legitimate ones, and not those attacking police stations, Oko prison and Sapele Road prison and their property. The people, who did all these, are criminals and they should be treated as such.

“I’m here today to assure you of our support. Criminals cannot take over our state under whatever guise. They should not intimidate you and you should not allow your morale to be dampened.

“The criminals cannot win; we know them. We have dealt with them in other places.

“They called themselves lions and tigers in the political sphere. They have so many friends who are just mere criminals, who don’t want to work hard but just to prey on those working hard in our society. We will not allow them,” Obaseki said.

He assured that his administration would work with the police to ensure that every inmate who escaped from the correctional facility in the state was re-arrested.

Police Commissioner Johnson Kokumo said 11 policemen and women were injured, seven police stations razed, 16 police patrol vehicles burnt, five police officers’ personal vehicles burnt and 31 exhibit vehicles either burnt or destroyed.

Kokumo said seven AK-47 rifles had been recovered, with 126 suspects arrested during the EndSARS protests.