A female student of the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State identified as Uloko Lauretta Apaume, has been shot dead while dancing at her graduation party.
Lauretta was reportedly killed on Friday night by a member of the Auchi community vigilante group who was invited to provide security at the all night party.
Witnesses said Lauretta who studied Banking and Finance was killed by a stray bullet from the yet to be identified vigilante.
It was learnt that the students, as a tradition, invited members of Auchi Community vigilante group to help provide security at the party organised to celebrate sucessful completion of Higher National Diploma (HND).
The witness said that the vigilante attempted to fire some shots into the air as part of the celebration but the bullet failed to come out.
“The vigilante was lowering the gun to know why it failed to release bullet after firing and in the process the bullet discharge itself and accidentally killed the girl who was dancing on the spot
“The incident caused panic as the celebrating students scampered for safety but the suspects was later arrested by the police.”
State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Johnson Kokumo, who confirmed the incident, said it was clearly a misadventure and not intentional killing.
Kokumo stated that the female student was celebrating that she was done with school when the incident occurred.
“The vigilance men, according to the report of the divisional police officer on ground, had been invited by the students and it was in the night.
“It was clearly a misadventure; it was not an intentional killing as there is no record of any sort that there had been malice between the late student or any student for that matter and the vigilance men. So, the vigilance man had an accidental discharge so to say while the celebration was on,”
“The suspect is already in custody, assuring that the police are doing everything to pacify the students so that there would be no reprisal attack on innocent citizens.”
TN
