By Okosun Dennis
A burial that ought to have had the dead peacefully interred on Saturday, November 19, 2022, turned into a cataclysm making a hired vigilante and soldiers kill a guest during the burial.
The soldiers and vigilante group with some members of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) were brought into the Owode-Ogombo Community in Etiosa local government area, Ajah, by the fourth son of the deceased.
In the process of the mercenaries trying to disrupt the burial from taking place, a young man identified as Nonso David from Imo State was shot dead.
PEOPLE AND POWER was told that the victim was a neighbour to the deceased, who was in the burial to support the children during the ceremony.
Although the units of the soldiers were unknown, likewise the vigilante group, witness disclosed that trouble started yesterday when the children – who were said to be of the same father and mother – with one of them claiming ownership of the house, as he bought the bungalow from the father for N15m, used thugs to disrupt the processing at Yaba after the corpse was evacuated from the morgue of the Military Reference Hospital, Yaba enroute Ajah.
It was further gathered that before the demise of the father, Richard Ekpo, the fourth son, was said to have built a house for the father in their village in Akwa Ibom hence the father willed the property to him without the knowledge or consent of the rest children.
As family members, friends and sympathisers gathered at his compound today, where he was interred early Saturday morning after a night wake keep, Richard Ekpo stormed the compound with thugs, four soldiers – a Private, Corporal, Sergeant and Warrant Officer – and some vigilante who were cladded in military camouflage dress and black attire respectively, and started brutalising everybody in sight making guest scamper for safety.
When our Correspondent visited the house where the incident took place, it was gathered that one of the deceased sons named Victor Ekpo, was also stabbed on his eyes, with a deep machete cut on his neck and head on the order of his blood brother, before Nonso was shot with pump action gun by the vigilante group. A third person was also stabbed several times.
One of the witnesses, who spoke anonymously claimed he sat with Nonso during the burial this morning. Describing him as a peaceful, hardworking young man, added, “He sat next to me and we were discussing politics. These people were callous. They have killed Nonso David, my friend.”
The elder brother to Nonso identified as Daniel, who was called from work said he saw his younger brother last yesterday night as he left home early this morning. “Eh! Nonso, my brother killed for nothing? Look at the land for which they kill my brother. Police has taken the remains of my younger to the mortuary. They killed my brother because of this land and they ran away. I will bury Nonso here. How do I tell my mother this,” he queried.
During the fisticuff, the community people who see the confrontation as an affront came out against the invaders and swooped on the soldiers; seizing their three AK47 rifles, and their identity card while one of the soldiers, was held down and hands tied with rope to his back.
However, another witness identified as Olumide disclosed that a retired soldier who lived in the neighborhood, intervened hence their rifles were handed over back to them.
The sized identity card bore Corporal Mohammed Idris with Service Number: 05/NA/56/1321. It wasn’t independently confirmed if the details on the identity card was true as some of the relevant personal information have faded, ostensibly, questioning the authenticity of the card. However, all the insignia of the Nigerian Army were represented.
Those who sustained wounds were taken to Cedar Care Hospital, at Ogombo, where doctors were said to be battling to save their lives, which was said to be precarious due to the several cuts and stabs on the vital areas of their bodies.
Attempts to get information from the hospital wasn’t possible. However, at the Ogombo Divisional Police station, a source told our Correspondent that no arrest has been made as all the nine children of the man took to their heels.
However, a WhatsApp message sent to the Police Public Relations, Lagos State Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin to ascertain the present situation or if an arrest has been made, was not responded to.
Also, at the 81 Division, the spokesperson, Lt Col Olaniyi Osoba was not aware of the development when our Correspondent called him.
Meanwhile, Nonso’s wife had her six-month-old child strapped to her back, looking speechless and helpless. It was learnt that she gave birth to the only child of the union six months ago.
Nonso, it was also learnt, was recently promoted to a managerial position in a hotel where he works. “Today, being Saturday, he was on off duty hence he could attend the burial. This shouldn’t have happened to him. He was a nice fellow.”
The family house has been deserted and food prepared to serve the guest were abandoned.
https://any.peopleandpowermag.com/soldiers-vigilante-sack-community-shoot-one-dead-during-burial-stab-two-others/
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