By MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ENIN CITY – Barely a week after a policeman reportedly killed a taxi driver in Benin city, a trigger-happy Nigerian soldier has allegedly shot and killed a vigilante and freed some herdsmen arrested for alleged armed robbery in Obadolovbiyeyi village in Ikpoba-Okha local government area of Edo State.Sources hinted that a local vigilante group had yesterday (Wednesday), February 13, 2018 arrested some herdsmen for alleged armed robbery on the Benin-Abraka expressway.
The deceased, identified as Igbinovia Efe was said to have been directed to watch the arrested herdsmen while his colleagues combed the area for other fleeing members of the suspected robbery gang.
It was also learnt that during the search operation, a team of armed men in military uniforms who arrived the community in a Honda car marked AP 641 KTN stormed the area and opened fired on Igbinovia and freed the herdsmen earlier nabbed for alleged armed robbery.
The intervention of operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), saved the day when angry youths attempted to prevent a commercial bus from taking two of the herdsmen to the Benin Central Hospital for medical attention.
A youth in the community, Henry Osemwengie, narrated that the vigilante group had earlier arrested about six herdsmen for robbery and taken them to the Ogbekun police station.
Osemwengie 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 two robbers. Robbers, most of whom are Hausa, usually operate there. They keep their cows by the side, block the road and start robbing.”
Two of the gunmen were said to have eventually been arrested and taken into police custody.
Contacted the spokesperson of the 4 Brigade of the Nigeria Army, Maidawa Mohammed, stated that troop deplored to Ologbo for pipeline protection received a tip off from local closed to their location of suspected armed robbery activities.
He added that the troop mobilized to the scene and engaged the armed men at the scene but unfortunately one person who was later identified as member of the vigilante was killed.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the vigilante group also responded to a distress call on the robbery operation.
“The vigilante started demonstration but the situation has been brought under control.”
Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, confirmed the incident upon contact.
“The herdsmen were alleged to have blocked the expressway. Two of them are with the police undergoing interrogation,” CP Kokumo stated.
