Metro
Vigilantes allegedly execute two men in Enugu, label them robbers
Two men, Stanley Omeke from Aguibeje community and Igbonasi Odo-Okoro of Aji community in Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, were reportedly executed by the Aji community’s neighbourhood watch on December 16, 2024.
The vigilante group later alleged that the victims were highway robbers who were shot dead during a gun battle, but their families insist the accusations are baseless and are demanding justice.
According to Nmesoma Omeke, Stanley’s wife, the tragic incident occurred after she and her husband had gone Christmas shopping.
She recounted that around 5 p.m., as they waited for a commercial motorcycle at Aji Junction to take them home, members of the local neighbourhood watch approached and began shouting at her husband, demanding that he follow them.
When she and her husband asked what he had done, the vigilantes refused to answer and started assaulting him.
“They wouldn’t explain what he had done. I told my husband to go with them to avoid being beaten, and I rushed to inform his friend, Kingsley Igbonasi, about what had happened. Kingsley left to find out what was going on, but neither of them returned,” she said.
Igbonasi’s wife later revealed that her husband had gone to the vigilante office to inquire about Stanley’s arrest, but he never made it back home. The following morning, rumours began circulating that both men had been executed by the vigilante group at Okpo Union Primary School in Aji.
When Kingsley’s stepbrother, Arinze Odo-Okoro Onuwa, heard the news, he immediately went to the vigilante office but found no trace of the two men. The family then filed a missing persons report at the Igboeze North Police Station.
“The next day, we started hearing rumours that the vigilantes had taken them to a school and shot them dead,” Arinze said.
He also dismissed the vigilantes’ claim that the two men had been caught robbing vehicles on the highway.
“We live in this community. If there had been any robbery, everyone would know. This is nothing but a fabricated story to justify their actions,” Arinze said.
Stanley’s brother, Jude Omeke, received a call on December 17, informing him that his brother had been killed by the vigilantes.
He told Daily Sun that when he contacted the Divisional Police Officer in Igboeze North, he was informed that two bodies had been brought in by the vigilantes. The vigilantes claimed the men were highway robbers killed by soldiers but later admitted in a statement to the police that they had killed the men themselves during a gunfight.
Jude questioned the credibility of their account. “Where is the gun my brother supposedly used? If there was a gunfight, where are the weapons? My brother is not a criminal.
“This was a planned killing. This kind of killing is becoming too common. The authorities must step in and put an end to it. We cannot allow vigilantes to continue taking lives without consequence.”
He further disclosed that Stanley had an ongoing court case involving the vigilantes, suggesting that the execution might have been a targeted act of revenge.
On his part, Arinze criticised the vigilantes for acting as judge, jury, and executioner.
“Even the government doesn’t execute criminals without a trial. What gives a vigilante group the right to kill? If someone commits a crime, you take them to court. This is murder, plain and simple,” he said.
The killings have left both families devastated and seeking answers.
Nmesoma, who has two young children, expressed her heartbreak, saying, “I don’t know if my husband is dead or alive. All I want is the truth. My children need their father, and we deserve justice.”
The families of Stanley Omeke and Kingsley Igbonasi Odo-Okoro are now appealing to the Inspector General of Police, the Enugu State Commissioner of Police, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and ensure justice is served.
When contacted, the spokesman of the Enugu State Police Command, Daniel Ndukwe, said he was not aware of the incident as he does not have such a report.
The Niger State Police Command has confirmed the death of a police inspector, Jido Ahmed, attached to 61 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Kontagora, following his involvement in an alleged armed robbery.
In a statement released in Minna on Friday, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, revealed that the late inspector and an accomplice, who is currently at large, had attacked a filling station behind the BCG Motor Park in Kontagora
The inspector died on Thursday at the police clinic in Minna from gunshot injuries sustained during a confrontation with a police patrol team from ‘A’ Division in Kontagora.
During the operation, they reportedly shot the station attendant after robbing him of an undisclosed amount of money.
“It was reported that the two suspected robbers used a motorcycle, went to the filling station, robbed an attendant, and shot the victim in the chest,” the statement read.
Consequently, Abiodun disclosed that the police patrol team from ‘A’ Division, Kontagora, immediately mobilised to the scene. They pursued the alleged robbers to the Dadin Kowa area of Kontagora, where a gun duel ensued.
“Fortunately, one of the robbers was shot in the leg, disarmed, and later identified as one Inspector Jido Ahmed attached to 61 PMF Kontagora. He was taken to General Hospital, Kontagora, for medical attention and later transferred to the Police Clinic, Minna,” Abiodun added.
The command further noted that the inspector was confirmed dead on Friday. “Further investigation into the unfortunate incident is ongoing, and effort to arrest the fleeing suspect is intensified,” the PPRO stated.
The Benue State Police Command says that two abducted passengers from a commercial bus earlier this week have managed to escape their captors, while efforts intensify to rescue the remaining passengers.
About 14 candidates travelling to Otukpo for their examination centres in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) were abducted.
According to a statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, on Friday, investigations revealed that the vehicle involved was a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BGT 234 S4 belonging to Benue Links Limited.
Police also confirmed that one suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident.
However, Edet disclosed the driver reportedly violated company policy by embarking on an unauthorised late-night journey.
The driver is said to have picked up passengers randomly along the route without issuing a formal manifest, contrary to standard operating procedures.
Initial reports suggesting that all passengers were students travelling for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have also been clarified as inaccurate.
She also said security operatives have since launched a coordinated operation to locate and rescue the remaining victims.
“The Command has deployed several tactical teams, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, and is working with other sister agencies to track down the perpetrators and ensure the safe return of the victims,” the statement said.
Authorities have assured the public that the situation is being closely monitored and that efforts are ongoing to bring all those responsible to justice.
Driver Undergoing Interrogation
The incident took place between 7–8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15, along the Benue Burnt Bricks in Otukpo, Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
Conflicting figures emerged regarding the number of victims.
While some sources gave estimates that about 17 passengers were abducted, the police confirmed 14, noting that one individual managed to escape at the time of the attack.
According to sources, the assailants waylaid the bus and robbed the occupants of their belongings before whisking them away into the bush.
An eyewitness, who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity, said the Benue Links bus, which was conveying about 18 passengers, ran into the kidnappers at about 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday night.
“The passengers were mainly young persons heading to Otukpo to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for Thursday.
“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.
When contacted, the General Manager of Benue Links, Mr Alexander Fanafa, confirmed the incident, noting that the driver of the bus is presently undergoing interrogation at the police station in Otukpo for violating the company’s safety policy not to travel beyond 6:00 p.m.
He said, “As I speak with you, the driver has been arrested and is under investigation for travelling against company directive. I have warned all drivers to stop night journeys, as they would be held as first suspects if anything unfortunate happens.”
The General Manager further stated that the driver took his vehicle and loaded the passengers who were heading to Otukpo after official hours when the park manager, Mr Amedu, had closed, and ran into trouble, so he has been arrested.
The Executive Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the incident, saying that it occurred between 7 and 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Leadership Failure
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, on Friday, criticised the nation’s security priorities, describing the incident as a reflection of deepening insecurity and a failure of leadership.
Obi accused authorities of prioritising electoral interests over citizens’ safety.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain said the abduction of the students was both “heartbreaking” and indicative of a systemic breakdown in governance.
“The news of the abduction of innocent UTME candidates in Benue State is not just heartbreaking but a damning indictment of the failure of leadership and the collapse of security in our nation,” he said.
He further lamented the impact of insecurity on education, noting Nigeria’s already low rate of tertiary education attainment compared to peer countries.
“Young Nigerians striving for an education are being met with terror. In a country where the share of tertiary graduates is already painfully low (about 1%), which is far below peers like Indonesia (about 13%) and South Africa (around 10%). This is unacceptable. We cannot afford to lose even one more student to violence,” he said.
“Those entrusted with protecting these young students appear increasingly preoccupied with the next election, projecting strength and power to rig elections, rather than deploying that same power and agencies to secure our roads, prevent these crimes, and rescue the abducted children who should not be in the hands of criminals but in examination halls.”
The ex-presidential candidate warned that the incident reflects a broader national emergency.
“This is no longer an isolated tragedy. It is a pattern. It is a national crisis. And it demands urgent, decisive, and responsible action, not excuses, not silence, but leadership that matches the scale of the emergency this deserves. A nation that abandons its youth abandons its future. This cannot continue.”
Troops of 22 Brigade under Operation Savannah Shield have repelled suspected terrorists, arrested two suspects, and recovered motorcycles during an offensive operation in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Security sources said the operation was conducted at about 11:09 a.m. on April 14 by troops deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Babanna, in collaboration with Combat Support Infantry Battalion XVI and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
According to the sources, the troops carried out coordinated clearance operations across Dekara, Dongoru, Bakimba, Jigga, Gidan Kambarawa and Masaka villages.
During the operation, troops made contact with the terrorists along the Masaka–Dekara road, forcing them to flee and abandon their motorcycles.
The sources added that the troops subsequently encountered an ambush but successfully fought through the attack, recovering additional motorcycles.
“In total, nine motorcycles were recovered during the operation, while two suspects were apprehended,” the sources said.
They noted that two tyres of a Combat Support Vehicle (CSK APC) were damaged during the encounter.
The suspects and recovered items are currently in military custody for further investigation, while operations are ongoing to track fleeing members of the group.
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