Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have killed a young man simply identified as David in his apartment at Grace Land Estate, Okpanam of Asaba, the Delta state capital.
The incident occurred around 7 pm on Tuesday at Okpanam junction by Benin-Asaba expressway.
A source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said the herdsmen invaded the estate and were robbing for 1hours and 30 minutes shooting sporadically when the residents raised alarm which attracted the Okpanam vigilante and police to the scene.
“The incident happened yesterday night (Tuesday). They were robbing for 1 hours plus, shooting, then the victims now raise alarm, so people started coming out and they called Okpanam vigilante and the police, when they come they started shooting, so the herdsmen ran into a compound where a labourer stay and unfortunately they shot him.
“Everyone of us ran way from the area, until now, I have not come back home because of the incident, so I wouldn’t say whether they arrested any of them” the source said.
Another eye witness said:
“I was there, I and the vigilante man chase the robbers but we could not do anything because the double-barrel gun he had reloaded after shot, while the hoodlums carried two AK47 with one pump action.
“They are three in number with two AK47 and one pump action, so they overpower us with their gun before the policemen arrived. Instead of the police to join us chasing the hoodlums after killing the young man, they stop at spot the man was killed, so we couldn’t caught them even as one of the hoodlums was leaping, maybe the bullet hit him.
“It is a painful death. I don’t think they are herdsmen because this group spoke good English. This is the third time they are robbing in this estate in one month.”
However, the elder brother of the deceased identified as Israel, disclosed that the police have deposited the body to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) mortuary.
When contact the Police spokesperson in the state, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said “let me find out from the DPO Okpanam” but could not get back to our correspondent at the time of filing this report.
