A bereaved father in Warri has called on the Commissioner of Delta State Police Command, Wale Abass, to investigate the wrongful death of his son who was shot dead at Eku Town, Ethiope East Local Government Area.
The request by the father, Mr Samuel Oyeh, was contained in a petition by a law firm, Ikimi Oghenejabor & Co on behalf of the bereaved family and addressed to CP Wale Abass.
According to the petition, Mr Oyeh’s son, a vigilante, one Onome Oyeh, was gunned down by a member of the Orerokpe Anti-Cult group, one Onomine Irikefe at about 12:30 a.m on May 3, 2023.
The petition narrated that a dispute between a member of the Eku Vigilante Group and the head of operations of the Eku Anti-Cult Group escalated into a supremacy battle in the wee hours of the said day.
As a result of the disagreement, leaders of the Eku Anti-Cult Group, Daniel Agah, Papay Evans, Henry William and Ali Godwin issued a directive that other members of the Anti-Cult Groups should converge to Eku Town for an operation.
It was during the operation that Onomine Irikefe from Orerokpe allegedly shot Oyeh on his right lap who died on his way to Oghara Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The petition added that after the murder of Onome Oyeh, other vigilante members were arrested by the Eku Anti-Cult Group and handed over to men of the Special Anti-Cult Unit (SACU) at the State CID, Asaba.
The father of the deceased, through the law firm, has called in the Commissioner of Police to investigate the matter that led to his son’s death and punish the offenders accordingly.
The letter read in part: “It is our brief that our client’s son, Onome Oyeh, aged 23 years, a hairstylist and a member of the Eku Vigilante Group was shot to death by one Onomine Irikefe (alias Di-Rock) a member of the Orerokpe Anti-Cult Group at about 12:30 am on the 3rd of May, 2023 whilst carrying out his duty together with other vigilantes in Eku main Town.
“It is our brief that before the events of the 3rd of May, 2023 there was a dispute between one Mr Timothy Imiere, a member of the Eku Vigilante Group, and one Mr Henry William, the head of operations of Eku Anti-Cult Group.
“It is our further brief that the above disagreement unknown to other members of the Eku Vigilante Group culminated into a supremacy battle unleashed by the Eku Anti-Cult Group on the wee hours of the 3rd of May, 2023 which led to the death of Onome Oyeh on guard duty.
“It is in the light of the above, that we have the instructions of our client to demand and WE HEREBY DEMAND that you order a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the above complaint of our client to punish any person found culpable for the murder of Citizen Onome Oyeh as justice delayed is justice denied.”
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