….Case Is Purely Internal Disciplinary Matter – Edo Police Command

Ordinarily, the arrest of a suspected criminal is a moment of commendation for police officers, often accompanied by praise and, in some cases, promotion. However, that narrative has taken a controversial turn within the Edo State Police Command following the detention and trial of two officers who reportedly arrested a suspected cultist in the Iyekogba axis of Benin City.

Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the two officers, identified as Inspectors Nosa Onaghise and Francis Oyakhire, both attached to the Iyekogba Police Division, were “rewarded” for their actions with four days’ detention at the maximum cell of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Command Headquarters, Benin City.

The duo were subsequently subjected to an orderly room trial, the outcome of which is still awaited.

Reacting to the controversy, the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, dismissed claims that the officers were punished for arresting a suspected cult member.

She explained that their detention and trial were unrelated to the arrest, stressing that the matter was purely an internal disciplinary issue.

According to her, the officers were being tried for indiscipline, misconduct, and gross insubordination, insisting that no officer would ever be punished for legitimately arresting a suspected criminal.

“The officers from Iyekogba division who were detained were not detained because they arrested a suspected cultist, no officer gets detained for arresting a suspected cultist.

“Like I said they were detained for indiscipline and they have been defaulted and they are going through trial for misconduct and gross insubordination”, she said.

The incident gained public attention following reports shared on social media by the Edo Civil Society Organisation on December 30, 2025.

These reports prompted our correspondent to visit the Edo State Police Command Headquarters in Benin City on Friday, January 2, 2026, to obtain first-hand information.

During the visit, it was observed that morale among operatives, particularly within the Anti-Cultism Unit, appeared low, with several officers expressing concern over the treatment of their colleagues.

While some operatives expressed concern that decisive policing, particularly against suspects with “connections” could come at a personal cost, others believed their colleagues erred, arguing that searching a suspect’s mobile phone without proper authorization was unprofessional, hence the disciplinary action.

They however called for leniency, noting that mistakes are not uncommon in policing.

“We all know operatives make mistakes, but punishment often depends on who is involved. Injustice to others is treated as normal, it is only when friends, relatives or powerful individuals are affected that it suddenly becomes misconduct,” an officer said.

Further findings revealed that the embattled inspectors were later transferred from the CID cell to the Command’s Provost Office before being taken to Adesuwa Divisional Headquarters, Sapele Road, Benin City, where they appeared before a Delegated Officer for their orderly room trial.

While the Command insists on misconduct as the basis for the disciplinary action, reports circulating on social media painted a different picture.

According to the Edo Civil Society Organisation, trouble began on December 29, 2025, when officers attached to the Iyekogba Area Command received intelligence about a suspected cultist allegedly terrorising communities in the area.

The suspect was reportedly intercepted while riding a motorcycle and taken into custody for interrogation.

The group claimed that during profiling, the suspect allegedly confessed to belonging to a cult group, with evidence obtained.

It stated also that while investigation was ongoing, the suspect allegedly placed a call to a Commissioner of Police (not serving in Edo State), who reportedly became angry over the arrest, claiming the suspect was sent to her residence for plumbing work.

The organisation further alleged that the senior officer ordered the detention of the arresting officers, while the suspected cultist was eventually released.

ASP Ikoedem firmly dismissed these allegations, explaining that the cult-related case and the officers’ disciplinary trial are separate matters.

“While the case of cultism or suspected cultist who were arrested has been transferred to the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Edo State Police Command Headquarters and the case is under investigation, so these are two separate cases and I don’t know why the two are being mixed up,” ASP Eno said.

ASP Eno however, confirmed that the officers currently facing disciplinary proceedings are indeed the same officers who effected the arrest at Iyekogba.

She declined to comment on whether the suspect has actually been released or still in police custody insisting that investigation is ongoing.

A dependable source disclosed that the two inspectors were released at about 4:00 p.m. last Friday after appearing before the orderly room trial panel.