Members of Emuhun community’s vigilance group in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State have accused the police and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele of abandoning one of their colleagues who was killed during the rescue of his wife, Margaret, from abductors.
The vigilantes said they, and not the police or the Army, rescued Margaret.
They claimed to have shot and held two of the suspected abductors, whose confessional statements led to the arrest of five others.
Addressing reporters yesterday in Benin, the state capital, Secretary of Emuhun Community, Deacon Samson Osagie, gave the name of the slain vigilante as Gabriel Okorare, 64.
Osagie said the late Gabriel joined other vigilantes to search the bush for the kidnappers after the police from Okhuaihe Police Division sought their help.
The community’s spokesman said the police described Margaret’s abduction as an embarrassment to them and the nation.
He said Gabriel was killed during the rescue operation while the police recovered his body and deposited it at Abudu Hospital’s morgue.
Osagie said: “It may interest Nigerians to know that the late Gabriel was the bread winner of his family. He left behind two wives and 11 children.
“Since Gabriel’s death, the family’s feeding has been a major challenge, particularly with this harsh economic recession in the country. The situation has forced his children out of school.”
The community’s spokesman said Police Commissioner Haliru Gwand promised to convey the matter to appropriate authorities but had not paid a condolence visit to the late Gabriel’s family.
One of the vigilante, who said he was in the forest with the late Gabriel when he was killed, Wilson Igbinosun, said they knew the abductors were in the area because women returning from the farm claimed they were harassed.
Wilson recalled that when the vigilantes fired the first shot, the abductors responded with torrents of bullets, some of which reportedly hit Gabriel.
The viglantes said policemen and soldiers did not enter the forest during the encounter.
He said: “Gabriel died instantly and the kidnappers took away his gun while I lay down flat without making a noise. They shot more than 180 times.
“We were surprised that the police did not give us credit. If the police were in the bush, they would have killed all of them. But we shot two of the abductors who were later handed over to the police.
“We saw two bags of money, which the police took away. The police and Emefiele should visit the (late Gabriel’s) family because his wife was rescued alive. Three other women and one man were also rescued.”