Metro

Land Dispute: Vigilante Member Killed As Gunmen Invade Delta State Community

Published

3 years ago

Mar 15, 2022.

Land dispute between the Ogwashi Uku community in Aniocha south council area and its neighbor, Ibusa in Aniocha north of Delta State, took a tragic turn when gunmen assassinated a member of the Aboh-Ogwashi vigilante group.
The gunmen stormed the Okwabani of Aboh-Ogwa Ogwashi’s (meeting hall) in three vehicles on Monday morning, March 14, and fired sporadically.

EKO HOT BLOG reports the land dispute between the Ogwashi Uku community in Aniocha south council area and its neighbor, Ibusa in Aniocha north of Delta State, took a tragic turn when gunmen assassinated a member of the Aboh-Ogwashi vigilante group.

According to reports, the gunmen stormed the Okwabani of Aboh-Ogwa Ogwashi’s (meeting hall) in three vehicles on Monday morning, March 14, and fired sporadically.

Mr Chukwuwike Alawo, the victim, was allegedly shot at close range, while several others were seriously injured, including the leader of the vigilante group and the taskforce on land recovery, Mr Nnamdi Nwaebonnor.

The vigilante vehicle, a Toyota Sienna recently donated by the Isagba of Ogwashi Uku kingdom, Chief Jude Ozah, was vandalized, according to the Nigerian Tribune.

According to reports, the trouble began when members of the Aboh vigilante group confronted some people who were bulldozing a parcel of land behind Admiralty University of Nigeria on the Asaba-Ibusa-Ogwashi Uku road.

The workers were said to have abandoned their equipment as well as a pump action gun, which the vigilante members recovered.

As the Aboh vigilante group emerged from the bush, they were attacked near the Okwaubani Ogwa.

In response to the attack, Chief Jude Obidi, Okwaubani of Aboh-Ogwashi, stated that he instructed his vigilante to take the recovered exhibits to the police station.

The hoodlums, who had apparently reinforced, stormed the town on their way to the station to carry out the heinous attack.

He claimed that during the invasion, one of the vigilante members called him from a hideout to report Nwike’s death.

Obidi described the incident as an unprovoked and direct attack on his people.

“While they were moving to the police station with exhibits, the hoodlums had reinforced and came into the town for the attack. About three vehicles came in shooting sporadically. So the vigilante people took off, and that was how to shot Chukwuwinke Alao, a very loyal member of the vigilante. The invasion happened near my Ogwa right at the heart of the town. This is a direct and an unprovoked attack on us. That is exactly what happened.” he said.

Obidi, who said the police were already investigating, did not rule out various interests contending for land as a possible motive for the attack.

The State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the attack on the “Ogwa” and the death of the vigilante member, saying that an investigation into the matter had begun.

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