Residents of Ebute- Metta area in Yaba, Lagos State were woken up December 11,2010, by cries of anguish. The cause of the outcry was the strange discovery of dead bodies of two members of the vigilante group guarding the entire vicinity.
In fact, both the old and youths living in the area concluded that the guards, Fatai Hassan (60) and Aderotimi Fakoya (51), must have been killed by armed robbers during a shoot out early that Saturday. However, relatives of the two guards have dispelled speculations that their bread winners were killed by armed robbers.
They rather, alleged that they were assassinated by some faceless men, who have threatened to eliminate them for long. Narrating the circumstances that led to their untimely death that fateful day, their relations said the duo, who were accredited members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Lagos Mainland Chapter, met their death during routine patrol along Ibadan Street Ebute-Meta.
They claimed the guards were ambushed by a dark- coloured car at about 4.30 am and its occupants rained bullets on them, killing the two while one of the guards managed to escape.
Sixteen-year-old daughter of one of the dead guards, Adeoye Fakoya told Crime Alert that her father, Aderotimi, who was the Commander of the Vigilante group, was with his family, at their residence, at No. 30, Osholake Street, Ebute-Meta, when he heard gunshots from the adjoining street. She said her father bolted out of the house when he heard the shooting and he also alerted the Anti- Robbery police at Denton Police Station.
“This has been his usual practice since he started this job and everyone knew that he responds to such situations. He met with the policemen and he also called two other members of his group who were on duty that night.
They and the policemen agreed to search for the gunmen and my father took the Ibadan Street to catch up with his colleagues. But before he got to Adeolu Adebayo’s house, we were told by Mr. Adebayo that a dark coloured car came out from nowhere and shot at my father and one other colleague. But another guard, Mr. Adebayo, who was close to his house escaped unhurt.
They knew my father was going to respond to their call that was why they released those shots to bring him out. Before now, we have been noticing strange movements around our house. We often saw people with guns peeping through our window and they will leave when they are certain that my father was not home. He did not tell us of any direct threats to his life but we’ve noticed several strange movements around our home.
The police should look into the matter seriously as they have promised and bring his killers to book. Meanwhile, Crime Alert scooped that there have been a lingering leadership tussle between members of Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Mainland Chapter.
An ousted leader of the group was said to have been angry over the manner at which he lost his position. Sources said before his ouster from office, there were accusations that he had mismanaged funds belonging to the group.
The aggrieved members of the group reportedly took him up to the state chapter where he was forced to relinquish his office as the commander and Mr. Aderotimi was appointed. When Crime Alert met the guard that narrowly escaped during the shoot out, Mr. Adebayo, he narrated how he escaped death, attributing his survival to the grace of God.
He said that when the gun men could not get him, they shot his son on the knee, before walking over to his colleague’s (Aderotimi) corpse where they openly voiced out that he should be a commander in heaven. According to him, “after I got the call from the commander that there were suspicious movements within the neighborhood and they told me that they were going to start the patrol from my street and the police will cover the other areas, I assured them that I would be waiting.
Around 3.50am, they came and I met them in front of my house and while we were still strategizing, a dark- coloured car pulled in front of us and the occupants opened fire at us. I do not know the number, but I saw three men.
They shot Aderotimi on the face. And they went after Hassan, who managed to run after receiving one shot and they caught up with him in front of a shop and shot him severally on his chest. “They also poured profanities on Aderotimi’s corpse, calling him “a stupid man, you can now go and do your commander in heaven”.
I ran away and hid at a corner in my compound but they chased me into my house, where they met my family and shot my son, Sunday, on his knee”. Meanwhile, the 81-year-old-mother of one of the deceased, Mrs. Adebisi Fakoya , pleaded with the authorities to bring the killers of her son to book. She also pleaded with govern-ment and public-spirited individuals to come to the aid of his late son’s children.
“Look at them, he was the breadwinner of this family and he was the one fending for all of us. Now they have succeeded in taking him out of the surface of the earth. I wonder what they want me to do. My world is over.
He was all I have. Government should not close their eyes to his killers. They should please go after them, because my son was fighting a good cause voluntarily.
Government should please come to our aid. This is when we need them most, my son has given up his life for the safety of every one, the public and government should not allow his efforts go in vain. His children need education and I and their poor mother cannot afford it”, She pleaded in tears.
Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment