By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Awka
Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), Saturday, exonerated the detained Commander of the security outfits in Ojoto community, Idemili South Local Government Area (LGA), Mr Ebubedike Okafor, from the alleged killings and dumping of a corpse of a tricyclist.
AVG at a press conference addressed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Chief Nweke Nweke, also explained that preliminary investigation showed that the deceased was neither killed nor dumped at Ojoto as allegedly reported by some media platforms.
According to Nweke, "preliminary investigation showed that the deceased might have died by lynching. He was suspected to be a kidnap member killed by mob at a community outside Ojoto.
"Nevertheless, the police investigation is still on. Let no one prempt it outcome. All I want to clarify is that the members of AVG operate professionally. Ojoto AVG are professionals. They have been trying restlessly to secure the community from hoodlums. This is a clear case of crimes trying to fight crimes. Some are bent on blackmailing them for nothing.
"Besides, why would AVG kill and dump a corpse of Keke rider in a river in their own community? Don't they know the security threat and health hazards? If it was a case of dumping a corpse on a river you would have heard how it was retrived. Do you know that all these vigilante operatives stake their lives and properties while trying to protect lives of the citizenry? They have good homes, booming businesses and good reputations to protect. But they left them to serve Anambra State and Nigeria from the hinterlands.
"Besides, we don't carry out patrol operations without the police. We don't also arrest and kill suspects. What we do is to arrest and handover suspects to the police. As a baby police, we do not operate beyond our limit. We are always in the interior, grassroots level to ensure there is security of lives and properties all over the 179 communities and 21 Local Government Areas in Anambra State. We are pleading with communities, motorists and others to see us as partner in progress. Do not see us as your enemy."
Also speaking, the Traditional Ruler of Ojoto community, Igwe Gerald Mbamalu, Eze Ojoto 111, rated the AVG operatives in the community high with regards to professionalism, selflessness and love of humanity.
According to Igwe Mbamalu, the allegations trending on media against the community vigilante was a blackmail aimed at tarnishing their image and probably to get them out of the road so that the hoodlums would have their ways.
"I cannot tell you that I didn't hear or see what is going on. The truth is that neither the CSO (Chief Security Officer) or the youth of Ojoto is a kidnapper. They never kidnapped anybody and can never be a kidnapper and be working for Ojoto. When you fight crimes, crimes have a way of fighting back.
"I strongly believed that the happening is an attempt to blackmail the President General of Ojoto, CSO or the AVG so as to remove them from the road for the hoodlums to have a free hand to operate. But it cannot work. There is nothing hidden under the sun. The truth must come out.
" Be rest assured that the PG Ojoto or CSO never kidnapped anybody. They did not kidnap or kill a Keke operator or thrown his body to any river. Ojoto never did it. There is an issue going on which we are following interestingly. But it had nothing to do with kidnapping or killing anybody or taken his Keke or whatever. Please, disregard the information.
"The PG and CSO or AVG Ojoto are fighting crime. They have been on that road fighting crime. They have ensured that normalcy returned to that road. This is a case of crime fighting back. They are been blackmailed so they can give way for the hoodlums to have their ways. But God will not allow it to happen," the Igwe stated.
Some media reports had suggested that the police operatives from Ogidi Division had two days ago, arrested the Ojoto community vigilante commander and two others over an alleged kidnap and murder of 25-year-old tricycle operator, Christian Oluchukwu Onah.
Onah, a native of Ovoko community, Igbo-Eze South LGA, Enugu State, was residing at Oba, Idemili South LGA, before he was declared missing on 28th May 2023 following his failure to return after going out for the day’s business of tricycle riding transportation.
It was learnt that the tricycle owner who loaned it to the deceased on hire purchase engaged the services of a security tracker that provided vital information which led to the arrest of a man in possession of the missing tricycle used by Onah.
It was further reported that during interrogation, the man allegedly confessed buying the keke from Ojoto community vigilante operatives.