Family and friends of a middle-aged man, Justice Ogbuehi, have been thrown into mourning after a member of the Emuoha Local Government Vigilante Service allegedly shot him dead at his father’s residence in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Ogbuehi was assisting his mother to process cassava at his father’s residence when members of the vigilante group stormed the premises and shot him dead.
After perpetrating the crime, the local security men fled the scene but Ogbechi’s mother, who was shocked by the development, raised the alarm.
Upon getting wind of the tragic development, members of the community including the victim’s elder brother, Augustine, staged a protest to express their grievances and called for the scrapping of the vigilance group reportedly set up by the Chairman of the LGA, Dr Chidi Lloyd.
Augustine, while lamenting over the tragedy that befell his brother as he led protesters to the Cool/Wazobia/Info FM’s media house, claimed Ogbechi recently passed out from the Nigeria Navy training school.
Speaking to newsmen, Augustine said Ogbechi was processing cassava at home when one of the members of the vigilance group that stormed the premises allegedly shot him dead.
The aggrieved brother said, “Members of the EMOLVIS of Emohua Local Government Area just drove into our community in Oduoha. I don’t know who they were pursuing. But what we just saw was our brother who was helping his mother to fry Garri, they just shot him without any interrogation.
“We are crying; we don’t know what to do. We came here to report what members of the EMOLVIS had done to us. Let the local government and the state hear it. Even the Federal Government should hear it. Let justice prevail. That is what we want. The Oduoha clan is crying because of the death of this boy.”
Contacted, the state Police Public Relations, Grace Iringe-koko, confirmed the incident.
“Yes, we are aware of the incident. An investigation is ongoing,” she said.
Also speaking on the incident, Lloyd condemned the killing of the victim and ordered the police and the joint taskforce to immediately commence an investigation.
He said vigilance members had no right to carry arms, adding that any vigilance member found culpable at the end of the investigation would face the law.
“If after investigation it is discovered that someone who is not authorised to bear arms is the cause of the death, of course, the full weight of the law will be brought to bear,” Lloyd said.
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