BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Mourners scampered to safety when a trigger-happy vigilante member accidentally shot to death at a funeral in Benin City, his colleague who recently bought a flight ticket to travel to the United Kingdom after he successfully secured a five-year UK work Visa.
The killing brings to four the number of Edo State Security Network (ESSN) shot to death within a spate of one month in the State capital.
The latest victim, Cyril Igiebor, 28, was shot at 5 Eheneden Lane, off Ehenede Street, off Ekehuan road, Uzebu quarters, Benin City on Friday, October 20,2023.
A dependable source at Evbuotubu police station told our correspondent that the trigger-happy vigilante has been arrested and his gun recovered and taken to the state police Command headquarters, Benin City.
The victim was among a team of armed vigilante members present during a Service of Songs organized for a woman (name withheld) at her residence.
It was gathered that the bullets from the gun hit the victim’s arms and chest prompting his being rushed to a nearby private hospital.
The hospital was alleged to have demanded a police report before giving him the needed lifesaving medical attention.
He however died few hours after while being taken to a government owned hospital at the city center.
When our correspondent visited venue of the funeral shortly after the shooting, a middle-aged man who identified himself as the eldest son of the deceased woman (name withheld) and one Ituoyor said such incident did not happen there.
Our correspondent’s investigation revealed that the shooter identified as Moses Isimor was among a team of Vigilante deployed to the burial from Upper Ekehuan axis to join that of Uzebu area which the victim was a member.
On arrival, the team allegedly engaged in sporadic shooting ostensibly to announce their presence and warm the atmosphere which they claimed was too cold for their liking.
Amid the shooting Cyril Igiebor was said to have been hit by the bullets fired by another vigilante member.
The deceased’s elder brother Mr. Sunny Igiebor while weeping over the killing of his younger brother stated that he paid for a flight ticket three days ago for the deceased to travel out of the country after he successfully secured five years UK work Visa.
It will be recalled that three members of the Edo State Security Network were gunned down in an ambush at Okhunmwun Community in Ovia North-East local government area, September 21.
