AIG, CP should be held responsible for escaped armed robbers from Police Custody –Group tells IGP

Youths from Aladja, a community in the Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, have called for immediate accountability after two notorious armed robbers escaped police custody.

The youths have urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to hold both the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) of Zone 5 and the Delta State Commissioner of Police responsible for the alarming incident at the Ovwian/Aladja Police Division.

Speaking on behalf of the youths, Mr. Emmanuel Emetejitaye, Chairman of the Aladja Welfare Council, expressed grave concern over the safety of community members and the lives of those who played a role in the arrest of the criminals.

“The lives of our people are now at risk,” he warned, adding that no one can predict who might become the next target of vengeance by the escapees.

The dramatic turn of events unfolded on December 31, 2024, when four notorious armed robbers were apprehended by a local volunteer security group in Aladja.

They were promptly handed over to the police for interrogation and potential prosecution. However, the community was shocked to learn that two of the criminals had mysteriously vanished from the Ovwian/Aladja Police station’s supposedly secure cell.

The Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) 1, identified only as Musa, broke the news to the community, leaving residents baffled. “We questioned the police about the escape and asked if the cell’s keys had been damaged or if the walls were breached.

Their response was that neither had occurred,” Emetejitaye recounted. “So, how did two of the most dangerous criminals escape under these circumstances? The police had no explanation.”

In light of this troubling development, the Aladja community is calling for a full investigation into the incident. “We demand that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, hold the AIG Zone 5 accountable for this escape,” Emetejitaye insisted.

He also urged the government to take swift action to restore the morale of local law enforcement officers, who he said have been demoralized by the escape. “We need the authorities to rearrest the escapees and bring them to justice.”

Emetejitaye’s appeal extended beyond accountability for the escaped criminals. He called on both the Delta State Government and the Inspector-General of Police to conduct a thorough probe into the conduct of the officers on duty at the time of the escape.

The community is demanding answers and ensuring that such an incident never occurs again.

As tensions rise in Aladja, the youths have emphasized that they will not rest until those responsible for the escape are held to account, and the criminals are brought back to face the law.

Emetejitaye said, “They have about five cells in that enclave. Only one cell where two of the escapees were, was not locked. Is that not something to think about?

“Now, if that one cell is not locked, are the policemen telling us that it is only these two young men who escaped that were in that cell? I am not sure.

“If it is not only the two persons that were in the cell, who were the others that were in the cell that did not escape that night when those once escaped?

“If these guys escaped from the cell, they will walk through a very long passage before they get to the counter. Where were the policemen and women on duty at the time these guys escaped?

“We also have station guards who are stationed around the Police. Where were they when these guys escaped?