BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Benin City, Nigeria – A trigger-happy member of the Edo State vigilante group has allegedly shot and injured 11 children during a street football match in Benin City, Edo State of Nigeria.
The teenagers are currently receiving medical attention at various hospitals in the state capital.
The bloody incident occurred few hours after a policeman shot to death a member of Edo vigilante group Mr Aikpintanyi Ikponmwosa at Obazee area in New Benin, Benin City.
Police said the shooter, one Abdulraman Agbontaen in his 50s has been arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCID), Police Command Headquarters in Benin City.
It could not be ascertained how many rounds of ammunition expended during the attack but the shooter dropped the gun immediately he exhausted the cartridges loaded in the unlicensed eight-loader pump action gun.
The police further stated that the suspect would be charged for illegal possession of firearm and attempted murder.
The incident occurred at Mobile Crescent, off Upper Siluko Road, Ogida Benin City, where he lives in a building which he inherited from his late father.
The suspect was quoted to have severally warned the children to stop playing football on the street, claiming that they have destroyed his property in the process.
It was learnt that the shooter was driving back home when he met the children playing football on the street, he reportedly pulled his gun and started shooting at them from his moving car, about 9: am on Saturday, April 23, 2022.
Sources disclosed further that operatives of Ogida police division who responded swiftly to a distress call prevented angry youths in the area from lynching the enraged vigilante member and setting his building ablaze.
The Spokesman for Edo State Police Command SP Kontongs Bello said some of the injured children have been treated and discharged from hospitals.
SP Kontongs said the suspect Abdulraman Agbontaen admitted shooting the teenagers.
It would be recalled that the Edo State Commissioner of Police CP Abutu Yaro had ordered the arrest and detention of four policemen over the gruesome shooting to death of a vigilante member in Benin City.
The officers include Inspr. Igere Victor, Sgt. Umhenin Stanley, Sgt. Okongor Ojong and Cpl. Monday Joel, all of New Benin police division, Benin City.
Also detained along with the policemen are a man and his wife identified as Mr and Mrs. Sunday Egboh for conspiracy and murder.
The victim, Mr Aikpintanyi Ikponmwosa a member of the Edo State vigilante group was reportedly shot to death by the trigger-happy cop over an argument on Friday, April 22, 2022.
