24th April, 2022
By Jethro Ibileke
A member of a local vigilante group at Obaze Street, off Ewah Road, in Benin, Edo State, Ikponmwosa Aikpitanyi, has been reportedly shot dead by a yet-to-be-identified policeman for allegedly preventing a woman from dumping refuse in a moat in the neighborhood.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday, April 22, 2022, at about 10 pm, when the woman who earlier attempted to dump refuse in the moat, was intercepted and prevented by the 27-year-old vigilante operative.
An eye witness in the area who craved anonymity, disclosed that when the deceased stood his ground, insisting that waste dumped in the moat had blocked the free flow of flood water in the moat whenever it rained.
He further disclosed that the woman and her husband engaged the deceased in a hot altercation, insisting on disposing the refuse into the moat.
“The the husband of the woman angrily left the scene and vowed to deal with Ikponmwosa. But, he returned at about 10 pm with two policemen and one of them (policemen) opened fire on Ikponmwosa immediately he was identified by the complaint,” the source added.
A top police officer at the New Benin Police Division reportedly disowned the killer cop, adding that he was on illegal duty.
Meanwhile, family members of the deceased and youths in the area reportedly embarked on a peaceful protest to the State Police Command headquarters.
The Command’s spokesman, SP Kontongs Bello could not be reached for comment. An anonymous source at the Command’s headquarters however disclosed that the killer cop has been arrested.