9th September, 2019
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that the state government will compensate the families of two police officers killed during the kidnap of the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Prof. Sylvanus Okogbenin.
Obaseki made the pledge when he visited the CMD at his residence in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, after regaining freedom from his abductors. Okogbenin was abducted by gunmen at Ramat Park axis in Benin city, while on his way to Benin Airport en route Abuja.
The slain police orderlies, identified as Sergeants Odion Jonathan Ajibola and Etinosa Erhuegbea, both of Irrua Police Divisional Headquarters, were killed during the kidnapping of the CMD.
The governor said the compensation would come under the Edo State Government’s Insurance Scheme for the state security architecture codenamed, ‘Wabaizigan’.
He said despite the affected officers were not under the Wabaizigan Security Architecture, he would visit the families of the deceased police officers and make adequate arrangement to ensure they are captured in the insurance scheme.
Obaseki noted that security agencies were on the trail of the abductors having gotten useful information about their activities.
In his response, Prof Okogbenin commended the roles played by the state government, security agencies and the hospital community in his rescue. He said the support he got is helping him recover from the trauma.