Vigilance Group Confronts Killer Gunmen At Ubulu-Uku Over Gruesome Murder Of A Citizen

By Frank Oshanugor

The agrarian community of Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area, Delta State on Monday lost its peace as members of the town’s vigilance group rose in defense of the citizens following the gruesome murder of their colleague who had gone to resume his official duty along Ubulu-Uku and Issele-Uku in early hours of Monday.

Some community sources told AtlanticNewsonline, that on Monday, October 9, a member of Ubulu-Uku Vigilance group simply identified as Sule, from Isho Quarters in the town had resumed duty on Ubulu-Uku-Issele-Uku Road, but he did not know that gunmen had laid ambush for him.

As he was changing his clothes to his official uniform, a man armed with gun, reportedly emerged from the bush near the Vigilance security post and shot him in the head. He was said to have died before help could come. On hearing the news of the gruesome attack, Sule’s colleagues and hunters in the community galvanized themselves and began to comb the bushes in search of the brigands.

It was gathered that following the concerted effort of the Vigilance team, two armed suspects were arrested and a third one who identified himself as a commercial motor-cyclist usually engaged by the gunmen who are suspected to be serial kidnappers in that axis.

AtlanticNewsonline, learnt that a man was abducted almost at the same spot that Sule was shot last week and only released after payment of ranson.
Two weeks ago, another victim was similarly kidnapped in the community, thus creating a very panicky scenario with palpable fears gripping both residents and visitors to Ubulu-Uku, an emerging urban town.

As at press time, it was gathered some of the suspects had been arrested and handed over to the police by youths of the town who stormed the bush between Ubulu-Uku and Issele-Uku where the gun men had run into.

Some of the gunmen were said to have regrouped and mounted a road block on Ubulu-Uku-Issele-Uku Road with a view to attacking any passerby. A source said, it took a timely intervention of a detachment of Police men from the Delta State Command in collaboration with vigilance men in the area to dislodge the gunmen.

It was also gathered that the gunmen brutally attacked and injured another young male citizen of Ubulu-Uku in their attempt to invade the town before the arrival of policemen.

Efforts made repeatedly by AtlanticNewsonline to reach Delta State Police spokesman; DSP Bright Edafe, with a view to confirming the incident failed as calls put across to him were not picked neither were the calls returned.

Ubulu-Uku community seems to be passing through some trying moment as a 76-year Theresa Okocha was also reportedly strangled to death in her apartment by unknown assailants.

Sources said, she was living alone in her compound, but was found unconscious in her room with bruises all over her body and serious injuries on her face and was unable to tell what happened to her before she passed on.

One of her relatives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the woman might have been unconscious for days. “It was after about two days that people noticed that Aunty Theresa, as she is fondly called, had not been coming out from her house for about two day, so neighbours became worried and decided to check on her, only to see her lying unconscious on the floor.

“Her body was full of bruises, an indication that she might have been beaten up or attacked. We decided to rush her to the hospital. Unfortunately ,she died after a few days in the hospital. Regrettably, she was unable to tell her stories before she died.

“With swollen mouth, eyes and bruises all over her body, her attacker must have beaten her up. She was seriously beaten, but I don’t understand why she was not able to shout or raise the alarm as her closet neighbours claimed that they did not hear any sign of quarrel or scuffle.”

Since the motive behind her killing is still unknown, and neither could anyone identify the assailant(s), there is serious panic among the residents.