From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
There was tension at the weekend in Umutu community, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, where gunmen suspected to be herders reportedly killed a member of the community’s vigilance group.
The marauding gunmen also inflicted gunshot injuries on another during an invasion of the water side of the town, where three people were allegedly kidnapped.
Local sources, however, said the vigilance group summoned courage and mobilised to comb the bushes until they rounded up the herders and rescued the kidnapped victims.
“The herders even came into the town, so, as they were going, one of the vigilantes, Mr. Oliseneku, was shot on his stomach, but due to the lack of good hospitals around, he was rushed to Asaba. On getting to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), they were on strike, so they had to locate another good hospital and they later found one. But before any tangible service could be rendered, the vigilante died due to extreme loss of blood and long hours on road searching for hospitals,” a source volunteered.
Another source said the other vigilante, who also sustained gunshot injuries, is currently in critical condition.
The Public Relations Officer of the state police command, DSP Bright Edafe, was yet to confirm the incident at the time of this report, but an unofficial police source said it was not ascertained if the hoodlums were herders.