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Vigilante feared killed over arrest of nomads in Edo

By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City
15 February 2018   |   4:16 am
A vigilante, Efe Igbinovia, in Obadolovbiyeyi community of Ikpoba-Okha council area of Edo State has been killed by soldiers while watching over detained herdsmen.

Herdsmen

A vigilante, Efe Igbinovia, in Obadolovbiyeyi community of Ikpoba-Okha council area of Edo State has been killed by soldiers while watching over detained herdsmen.

The vigilance group in the area was said to have in the early hours of yesterday arrested some nomads for alleged robbery on the Benin-Abraka highway.

The deceased was reportedly watching over them while his colleagues were combing the area for the fleeing members of the robbery gang.

It was learnt that a group of armed men in military uniform suddenly stormed the area and fired sporadically, killing Igbinovia in the process.

The armed men were said to have arrived the community in a Honda car marked, AP 641 KTN, and set the herdsmen free after the deed.

Some angry youths allegedly prevented a commercial bus earlier from conveying two of the herdsmen to the Benin Central Hospital for medical treatment before the intervention of personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

A youth, Henry Osemwengie, said that the vigilance group had arrested and taken six herdsmen to the Ugbekun police station for robbery.

He said: “Two of the herdsmen were caught. Igbinovia was asked to stay. Before then, the police had been called to come and pick them (herdsmen) because that is what we normally do. Suddenly, a red Honda car with about four of them putting on military uniforms and AK47 rifles came and started shooting.

“Igbinovia shouted that he had been shot. When the other people (vigilantes) came back, they discovered that Igbinovia was already down. They (armed men) killed him and went away with the two robbers.”

Contacted, the spokesperson of the 4 Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Maidawa Mohammed, while confirming the incident, said “troops deployed to Ologbo for pipeline protection received a tip-off from the locals of suspected armed robbery activities. They mobilised to the scene and engage the armed men but unfortunately, one person, who was later identified as a member of the vigilance group, was killed.”

The Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, also confirmed the incident.

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