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By Gabriel Enogholase, BENIN

A suspected ritual shrine was, Wednesday, discovered along the Ekehuan Road axis of Benin City by operatives of the Edo State Police command with three persons arrested with 20 mummified bodies

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, yesterday, said the raid was in line with the command’s operational mandate of curbing crime in the state.

He said: “Following credible information at the command’s disposal that some corpses were discovered in a building along Asoro slope off Ekehuan Road, Uzebu Quarters, in Benin City, operatives of the command immediately swung into action and mobilised to the scene.”

According to him, three suspects were arrested at the scene, namely: Chimaobi Okoewu and Oko Samuel, both of Afikpo in Ebonyi and Gideon Sunday from Akwa-Ibom State, while other suspects fled.

Yaro said the Police have launched an intensive manhunt to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

Among the corpses discovered at the scene of the crime are 15 dried male corpses, three female corpses and those of two children.

He said the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Command Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been directed to carry out a discreet investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the discovered corpses.

The Police Commissioner urged members of the public to be calm as the command will continue to ensure the safety of all law-abiding citizens and those residing in Edo State.