Kehinde Adewole, Ado Ekiti
Pandemonium broke out in Ikere Ekiti on Saturday night when unknown gunmen killed a middle aged vigilante working with a company in the town, according to a witness.
Daily Sun gathered that the incident occurred at a quarry located along Ikere-Iju-Akure road, when the gun wielding bandits are said to have invaded the firm to steal some valuables.
A young man, Kosade Dotun, had been killed on December 7 during the local government election in the same town.
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It was learnt that about three vigilante men were stationed at the quarry site to prevent the theft of company property, and had been stationed there for more than six months.
Narrating his ordeal, a night guard who craved anonymity, but was lucky to have escaped from scene, told Daily Sun that the assailants came in the dead of night .
“The robbers shot the leader of the team from the window while the other one was tied with rope,” the witness said.
“Electric cables and other facilities in the quarry were carted away by the suspected robbers.”
When contacted on the claims, the commandant of the vigilante group in Ekiti State, Mr Akin Olounloni, confirmed the incident, but claimed that the vigilante was killed by suspected cultists.
Olounloni explained that “the deceased had earlier called him to report that some cultists threatened to kill him after he reprimanded them.
“When he called me, I told him to report the case to the police in Ikere. He went there, the boys were invited and the issue was settled; but only for me to receive a call that the man was killed overnight,” the vigilante commandant said.
According to him, the suspected cultists have been arrested and are currently in the custody of the State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti Command, Mr Sunday Abutu, could not be reached for comment, as his mobile phone number was switched off.
However, the SARS Commander in Ekiti, Mr Marcus Ogundola, confirmed that three suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime.
“We have arrested three suspects, but investigation is still ongoing,” he said. “We cannot say for now whether they were the real perpetrators, but we are thoroughly digging into the killing.”