The leader of vigilantes at Umuhuali community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Mr. Peter Nwokpo, is now in police custody for allegedly killing a six-year-old girl, Chinaecherem Nwite. Four persons were also injured during the incident which occurred at Azuogbaagu village in the community during the burial of Peter Ude.
A resident of the area, who gave his name simply as Okechukwu, said the family of the late Ude had invited Nwokpo and his team to the burial to assist in maintaining law and order when the incident occurred. He said: “We were at the burial of our kinsman, Ude, when we suddenly heard a gunshot from the vigilantes invited to the burial to maintain law and order. “After the gunshot, we saw a six-year-old girl shattered with bullet lying lifeless on the ground. We made inquiry and discovered that it was the vigilantes’ leader, Mr. Peter Nwokpo, who shot the girl.
“People said it was accidental discharge. But I wonder what type of accidental discharge that will make someone to be shooting indiscriminately.” One of the victims, who sustained injuries during the incident, Ahamefula Usulour, said the vigilantes’ leader had arrived at the burial with a pump action gun, cocked it and shot into the air. Usulour said Nwokpo attempted to shoot more into the air but that it didn’t go through like the first one, making him to point the gun directly to where people were and shot the six-year-old girl in the process.
He said: “We had warned the man to stop shooting when he shot the first one but he refused to listen to us. He was very drunk and that was why he didn’t listen to us and continued shooting.’’ When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP George Okafor, confirmed the incident.
He said: “On April 8, about 23:35 hours, Okechukwu Nwite of Azuogba-agu village, Umuhuali community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State reported to the police that on that fateful day around 18:45 hours while he was at the burial ceremony of late Peter Ude, of the same address, Peter Nwokpo, a member of the vigilance group, accidentally discharged a cartridge from his pump action gun which hit and killed a six-year-old girl, Chinaecherem Nwite.’’
Okafor said the police had arrested the suspect and that the body of the girl had been deposited in the mortuary. The PPRO said investigation into the matter had commenced while the police had taken possession of the gun.
