From Moshood Olawale Karim
In a tragic incident that occurred on Christmas Day, a 21-year-old met untimely death when a trigger-happy vigilante took his life after a woman, residing in the same neighborhood, accused him of being a thief.
The Edo State community of Erhunmwunsee in Benin City was plunged into mourning as Kelvin Ochioka, a young telephone accessories hawker from Ebonyi State, was fatally shot at his residence.
Uptown Press gathered that, prior to the fatal encounter, Kelvin had engaged in a minor quarrel with the woman, who was known locally as a nurse, over the volume of music played from their respective MP3 players within the compound.
The disagreement escalated tensions between the two parties, ultimately leading to devastating consequences.
Approximately a few hours after their verbal confrontation, the woman startled onlookers by loudly exclaiming ‘thief oh! thief oh!’ upon seeing Kelvin. Reacting to her outcry, the vigilante, armed with a single-barrel gun and dressed in civilian attire, hastily scaled his fence and mercilessly fired at Kelvin, striking him in the abdomen.
Following the dreadful incident, residents of the area expressed deep condemnation and anguish over the vigilante’s lethal actions. They vehemently demanded that the police take appropriate action and ensure justice is served for Kelvin’s untimely demise.
Many questioned the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Evbuotubu Police Station’s decision to permit the woman, who instigated the calamity, to roam freely after the incident.
The Public Relations Officer for the Edo State Police Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the tragic killing while asserting that the woman responsible for the false alarm had been apprehended and released on bail pending further investigation.
SP Nwabuzor affirmed that the vigilante, who took Kelvin’s life, along with his firearm, is currently in police custody.
