ONITSHA – Gunmen suspected to be cultists early Thursday morning shot and killed a vigilante operative attached to Central Security, Obosi in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra state, during an exchange of gun fire.
The incident, according to sources, occurred opposite St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Obosi, along Nkpor/Obosi highway, barely a month after the Presidemt-General of Obosi Development Union, ODU, Ikechukwu Okolo was murdered in a similar circumstance by gunmen also suspected to be cultists.
According to the source, the vigilante operatives were said to be on a routine patrol during that wee-hour when they came across the suspects and engaged them in a gun duel.
It was gathered that in the ensuing encounter and hot exchange of fire, the suspects gunned down one of the operatives who died later as a result of excessive bleeding, while the suspects were said to have escaped with bullet wounds.
The incident disrupted yesterday’s peaceful protest proposed by some landlords and landladies of Ogbodogbo land in Obosi which was alleged to have been grabbed by an engineering company, without their consent.
The landladies had converged on Obosi town hall yesterday morning in readiness for the proposed protest but soon after their gathering, some security operatives moved in and dispersed them on the ground of insecurity, particularly the killing of the vigilante operative and the protest could no longer hold as scheduled.
Both the traditional ruler of Obosi Kingdom, His Majesty, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, Eze Iweka IiI, Eze Obosi and his Palace Secretary, Chief Shedrack Okenwa, Ugonabo, simply confirmed the incident but declined further comments on the ground that they were not favourably disposed to comment on it and referred newsmen to the police.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident and stated that the police have launched a manhunt to track down the culprits and bring them to book.
Some prominent Obosi indigenes who spoke on the matter on an anonymous condition, said the suspects could be the same culprits who allegedly killed the Obosi town union boss early in January, this year.
