The people of Eke community in Udi Local Government of Enugu State have petitioned the Nigerian Senate for intervention following the killings of one member of the community’s vigilante and a woman by soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
A group, under the aegis of Eke Progressive Forum, had sent a petition to the Senate President calling for an investigation into the impunity by the military that led to the cold-blooded double murder on that fateful night of June 29, 2023.
The tragedy reportedly happened when the local vigilante group responded to a distress call from victims of a robbery.
The vigilantes had met soldiers on ground at the scene of the crime and despite validly identifying themselves alongside policemen, were allegedly fired upon, resulting in the death of a male member of the group, with many others injured.
The petition by Eke Progressive Forum, submitted to the President of the Senate through newly elected Enugu West Senator, Engr. Senator Osita Ngwu, called for an open investigation and prosecution of the accused officers of the Nigerian Army responsible for the gruesome and unlawful killings.
In the petition dated July 4, 2023, the group noted that the soldiers had allegedly shot and killed a vigilante member, Mr. Ebuka Oke, while two others were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Another victim of the impunity, Mrs. Nkechi Udegbunam, a resident of Enugu Eke, was allegedly shot together with her husband, Mr Izuchukwu Udegbunam by the soldiers. Both victims were on a motorcycle and on their way to Eke. While his wife died on the spot, Udegbunam was gravelly wounded and is still in critical condition in the hospital.
The petition titled, “Unwarranted Killings and Attack on Eke Neighbourhood Guards by Officers of the Nigerian Army in Eke, Udi Local Government of Enugu State: Appeal for Intervention and Justice,” reads: “We humbly seek your attention and kind intervention on the gruesome murder of Eke Neighbourhood Guards by three Officers of the Nigerian Army when they embarked on the rescue of victims of robbery attack in Eke in the evening hours of Thursday, June 29, 2023.
“Prompted by the intelligence report of robbery attack along Eke Road, our Neighbourhood Guards had intimated the Divisional Police Officer at Ninth Mile Police, Enugu State and had mobilised to the venue, after the assurance of the DPO that the police was also mobilising to the incident venue.
“Surprisingly, the Neighbourhood Guards team met three soldiers that confronted them and opened fire on them at close range even after they identified themselves with their identity cards and uniforms. The shooting was in defiance of the pleading and clarification of the guards that they were [members of] the neighbourhood vigilante.
“It took the spirited intervention of the Ninth Mile policemen to get the soldiers to stop their offensive and assaults on the Guards. The Neighbourhood Guards did not also resist the soldiers when they asked them to stop advancing to the incident venue.
“The soldiers had shot and killed a vigilante member – Mr. Ebuka Oke while two other vigilante members were taken to the hospital for treatment and resuscitation. The three wounded members are Mr. Obinwa Ofor, Mr. Chinedu Okoro, and Mr. Emeka Anigbo.
“Also dead was Mrs. Nkechi Udegbunam, who was a resident at Enugu Eke, brutally shot together with her husband, Mr. Izuchukwu Udegbunam, by the soldiers. Both were on a motorcycle to Eke during the incident. Mrs. Nkechi Udegbunam died on the spot while her husband – is still receiving treatment and in critical condition.
“Your Excellency, the pains and experiences of the Eke Neighbourhood Vigilante team were so devastating and cruel. We cannot understand the reason for the callous killing and maiming of the innocent vigilante members when they had identified themselves and were out to rescue citizens. More importantly, they had alerted the police before embarking on the rescue operation.”
The group had appealed directly to the Senate President, saying: “Kindly use your good office to investigate this matter and ensure justice for the dead victim and members of the battered and maimed Neighbourhood Vigilante team and other victims.”
Aside from raising the petitions in the senate, Senator Osita Ngwu, the successor of the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, reminded the senate that his predecessor, who served the nation as a five-time senator (and as three-time Deputy Senate President), is still been held in the UK. He noted that the incarceration of Ekweremadu, for more than 380 days now, is a burden on the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The onus is on the Senate to take positive steps towards his case, he further stated.
