By USMAN ALIYU

The Police Command in Edo has confirmed the killing of one Friday Pius and the abduction of his pregnant wife and her sister by suspected kidnappers in Edo.

The incident happened in Uluoke community, Uzairue, Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, CSP Moses Yamu, said police operatives have been deployed to the area.

According to him, the operatives are working with local vigilantes and hunters to rescue the kidnapped victims and apprehend the attackers.

“The Command is aware. Necessary deployments have been made in that regard. Our men have sustained bush combing and rescue operations with a view to rescuing the victims,” Yamu stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, when gunmen stormed the residence of the deceased between 1am and 2am.

Witnesses said the assailants shot Pius dead and kidnapped his pregnant wife and her sister, leaving behind his three children crying beside their father’s corpse.

Residents were said to have been afraid to respond to the gunshots until the attackers had fled.

“When people finally came out after the gunfire stopped, the man was found in a pool of his own blood, and his wife and her sister had been taken away,” a community source said.

In response to the incident, the source said women from the community took to the streets in protest, demanding improved security and government intervention.

One of the protesting women, who identified herself as Rashidetu, said the protest was not just about the killing and kidnapping, but the general insecurity in the area.

“We can’t go to our farms anymore. Herdsmen have taken over, uprooting cassava to feed their cows and kidnapping or killing anyone who tries to stop them,” she said.

She called on the security agencies to urgently address the growing insecurity in the area, noting that residents now live in fear and have lost access to their livelihoods. (NAN)