Unidentified gunmen yesterday killed a member of a vigilante group in Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The victim, Nodi Nwachukwu Osam, according to a community source who spoke on condition of anonymity, was killed while on duty.
He was said to have been killed by the yet-to-be-identified gunmen at about 1pm along Palace road, Omoku town.
The 27-year old was until his death the Provost Marshall to the commander of the operating vigilante team in the area.
The source told The Nation that the bandits opened fire at a tram of vigilante boys who were on patrol in the area.
He disclosed that the vigilante team could not respond to the attack from the hoodlums, adding that they were not properly equipped to counter the superior force of the assailants.
The source said, “The vigilante men were on patrol when cultists opened fire on them. They killed one of the vigilante members. His name is Nodi Nwachukwu Osam.
“They killed him around Palace road. He was wearing the uniform of the vigilance team and also had his identity card when he died.”
Condemning the attack, Commander of the vigilance team, Mr. Adah Nwachukwu, said the killing of one of his men was not enough to deter him from fighting crime in the area.
Nwachukwu appealed to state government and good-spirited individuals to help provide security gadgets that would help it in fighting crime.
He called on the government to equip the force with patrol vans and other logistics to enable them carry out their assignments with minimum stress.
Nwachukwu explained that more than 20 members of his group have been killed by hoodlums in recent times.
“The cultists have been attacking us since they know that we are determined to restore peace and sanity to this area. They have killed over 20 of my men. I am calling on the state government to help us. We want them to equip us so that we can face these boys that are terrorizing our communities”
THE NATION
