Mourners scampered to safety on Friday, 20 October 2023, when a trigger-happy vigilante member accidentally shot his colleague to death at a funeral in Benin City.
This brings to four the number of Edo State Security Network (ESSN) members shot to death within a space of one month in the state capital.
The latest victim, Cyril Igiebor, 28, was shot at 5th Eheneden Lane, Off Ehenede Street, Off Ekehuan Road, Uzebu Quarters, Benin City.
A source at Evbuotubu Police Station told our correspondent that the trigger-happy vigilante has been arrested and his gun recovered and taken to the State Police Command headquarters, Benin City.
The victim was among a team of armed vigilante members present during a Service of Songs organized in honour of a deceased woman (name withheld) at her residence.
It was gathered that the bullets from the gun hit the victim’s arms and chest, prompting his being rushed to a nearby private hospital.
The hospital was alleged to have demanded a police report before giving thee victim the needed life-saving medical attention.
He, however, died few hours after while being taken to a government-owned hospital at the city centre.
When our correspondent visited the venue of the funeral shortly after the shooting, a middle-aged man who identified himself as the eldest son of the deceased woman (name withheld) and one Ituoyor said such incident did not happen there.
Our investigation, however, revealed that the shooter, identified as Moses Isimor, was among a team of vigilante deployed to the funeral from Upper Ekehuan axis to join that of Uzebu area of which the victim was a member.
On arrival, the team allegedly engaged in sporadic shooting ostensibly to announce their presence and warm the atmosphere which they claimed was too cold for their liking.
Amid the shooting, Cyril Igiebor was said to have been hit by the bullets fired by another vigilante member.
The deceased’s elder brother, Mr. Sunny Igiebor, while weeping over the killing of his younger brother, stated that he paid for a flight ticket three days ago for the deceased to travel out of the country after he successfully secured five years UK work visa.
It will be recalled that three members of the Edo State Security Network were gunned down in an ambush at Okhunmwun Community in Ovia North-East Local Government Area on September 21.
