Who killed Benson Ogedegbe?

Army, community differ over killers of Oghara vigilance leader?

WHO killed the Oghara community vigilante leader, Benson Ogedegbe, in Ethiope West Local Council of Delta State?

This is the puzzle the police are yet to resolve. The deceased, according to eyewitnesses, was allegedly killed last week by soldiers from the 19th Battalion based in Koko because he was allegedly divulging the secret deals of illicit oil bunkering business involving the soldiers of the Command, to the police in the Oghara area.

The vigilante leader, The Guardian learnt, was driving in his ash colour Mazda car when he was accosted by five soldiers. He was allegedly severely beaten up before he was shot in the groin region. He died on the spot. His extra judicial murder, it was learnt, was allegedly ordered by the Commanding Officer of the 19th Battalion, Lt. Col. Aminu Umar.

Eyewitnesses said the soldiers did not make any move to arrest Ogedegbe, that he was cruelly treated like an animal before one of the soldiers shot him in the stomach.

But a police source claimed that the vigilante leader was killed by criminals. “We believe that the boys who killed Benson were criminals who wore army uniform, probably thinking that they could kidnap him if they accosted him in soldiers’ uniform.

“If you check where he was shot, under the abdomen; security officials rarely shoot that area. Most times, they shoot criminals directly on the head or chest and they wouldn’t do so in broad daylight like you people are reporting,” the source argued.

However, Oghara residents said the deceased had issues with the Army and he had been on their wanted list for long.