Two separate clashes in Sobe and Ewatto leave security personnel and civilians dead as police reinforce troubled areas and begin investigations

Edo State Police Command on Monday, August 24, 2026, confirmed that three people, including Edo State Security Network personnel Martins Enahoro, were killed in two separate violent incidents in Sobe and Ewatto, Edo State, on Sunday, August 23, while 15 suspects were arrested in connection with the clashes.

Also read: Edo Police Arrest 42-Year-Old Over Alleged Child Abuse

The confirmation, contained in a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, came as injured security personnel and other victims continued to receive medical treatment in hospitals across the affected areas.

The incidents have prompted additional security deployments, with the police saying normalcy had been restored in Sobe while reinforcements were sent to Ewatto.

In Sobe, the trouble began at about 10am after Ojo Gabriel of Atoruru Village reported an alleged assault and malicious damage to the police. According to the police, youths had attacked his residence and vehicles, damaging window glass.

Police detectives and personnel of the Edo State Security Corps were subsequently mobilised to the area, but the situation escalated when the youths allegedly attacked the security team.

The police said the attackers damaged the side glass of a patrol vehicle and assaulted members of the security corps. Two locally made single-barrel guns belonging to the security personnel were also taken during the confrontation.

Three Edo State Security Corps personnel, Tunde Ali, Izedu Monday and Charles Ighororo, sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.

Three unidentified youths also suffered pellet injuries during the confrontation. One of them later died while receiving treatment at David and Stella Hospital, Sabongida-Ora.

His remains were deposited at Heavenly Home Mortuary in Sabongida-Ora, while the police said efforts were continuing to establish his identity and locate his family.

Eleven suspects have been arrested in connection with the Sobe incident, while the two firearms were recovered, according to the police.

The command said additional Police and military personnel had been deployed to the community, helping to restore calm.

The second incident occurred in Ewatto at about 12.20pm, where Martins Enahoro, an Edo State Security Network personnel, was allegedly attacked by suspected members of the Aro Berger confraternity.

Police said Enahoro attempted to defend himself during the confrontation and stabbed one of his alleged attackers, identified as Gbozia.

Enahoro subsequently sustained multiple cut injuries and was taken alongside Gbozia to God’s Will Hospital, Ewohimi.

Both men were confirmed dead by the doctor on duty, according to the police, bringing the death toll from the two incidents to three.

Four suspects were arrested in connection with the Ewatto incident. The police said two of those arrested had confessed to belonging to the Vikings and Aiye confraternities, although investigations are still ongoing and other suspects were believed to be at large.

The command said all four suspects had been transferred to the Area Command Headquarters for further investigation.

The police also deployed Police Mobile Force, Squadron 82, to reinforce security in the area.

The deaths come against the backdrop of broader security concerns in Edo, where the police and other security agencies have recently intensified operations against criminal activity.

Only days before the latest violence, Edo Commissioner of Police Patrick Daaor said the command was strengthening its operational posture and seeking closer cooperation with other security agencies and neighbouring commands. The command has also recently reported a successful operation in which police and other security personnel rescued a 32-year-old kidnapping victim in South-Ibie. (TwStalker)

Daaor, who assumed office as the 51st Commissioner of Police in Edo earlier this month, has repeatedly stressed intelligence gathering, swift intervention and community cooperation as central to the command’s security strategy. (TwStalker)

Following Sunday’s violence, Daaor urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding while providing useful information that could assist investigators.

He said the command remained committed to protecting lives and property and ensuring that anyone found culpable was brought before the law.

Ikoedem also warned that attacks on security personnel constituted criminal offences and would not be tolerated.

For communities affected by the violence, however, the immediate priority remains restoring confidence and preventing further confrontation as investigators work to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

The police said investigations into both incidents were continuing, while efforts were also under way to apprehend fleeing suspects.

Also read: Edo Police Arrest 2 Over Kidnapping, Recover 58 Bullets

The command’s response, including the recovery of the firearms taken in Sobe and the deployment of additional personnel, is intended to prevent a potentially fragile situation from escalating further.