The police in Edo State were on Monday asked by Mr. and Mrs. Emmanuel Agbomu, residents of Benin City, to disclose the whereabouts of their 39 years old son, Ebi Larry Agbomu, whom they claimed was arrested since May 2022, but had been no communication from him.
They couple said the development was discovered after a series of calls to their son’s cell phone were unsuccessful and then decided to check him in his rented apartment on Country Home Motel Road, Benin City, where his co-tenants told them what happened.
The duo who spoke to journalists, said they were worried about the incident, adding that it was unheard of that policemen would invade someone’s residence without a warrant of arrest and whisk him away like a criminal to an unknown destination.
They parents alleged that apart from the sudden disappearance of their son, vital valuables in their son’s apartment were allegedly carted away, pointing out that petitions had been written to Edo State Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, zone 5, Lawal Tanko Jemita, and the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, concerning the incident but all to no avail.
They called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba, President Muhammedu Buhari to come to their aide and tell the police to produce their son.
Said Agbomu: “When we did not hear from him, we decided to go to his neighbours, who are co-tenants. It was one of them that now told us that when the police came, they were banging on his door and they thought they were armed robbers and they were afraid to come out but that when he peeped through the window, he now saw that it was police and that when he came down to ask them where they were taking him to, he said they told him to go to his room because they did not come for him”.
Said his mother, Umutor Agbomu: “They told me that police arrested my son and since then, I have not seen my son, I have not heard his voice. I have been looking for him, his phone is not reachable, I don’t know where the police have taken him to”.
Said Tijani Momoh, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Zone 5, while confirming the incident when contacted on phone: “We have received the petition and we have taken statements from the complainant, we have called for the file from the state command because that was where it was first reported.
“But while waiting, we have commenced investigation to ascertain whether those who arrested him are police or not. There are so many actions we are taking that cannot be disclosed to the public now”.
