Police arrest vigilante group leader over death of 6-yr-old girl
Mon Apr 18, 2016 03:21:pm Gist
2.2K By sosa hills
Mourners in Azuogba Agu, Umuhuali community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State had their tragedy doubled when a vigilante leader shot dead a six-year-old girl and injured four other persons at the burial of one Peter Ude.
The state police command, which confirmed the incident, said it had arrested the suspect, Mr. Peter Nwokpo, a vigilante leader, for allegedly killing the six-year-old girl, Chinaecherem Nwite.
Four other persons were injured during the incident, which some residents attributed to an accidental discharge.
It was learnt that the incident occurred at Azuogba Agu village during the burial of Ude.
A resident of the area, who simply gave his name as Okechukwu, said the family of the late Ude had invited the vigilante team, led by Nwokpo, to the ceremony to assist in maintaining law and order when the tragic incident occurred.
"We were in the burial ceremony of one of our kinsmen, Ude, when we suddenly heard a gunshot from the vigilante group invited to the ceremony to maintain law and order.
"After the gunshot, we saw a six-year-old girl hit with bullets lying lifeless on the ground. We made an inquiry and discovered that it was the vigilante leader, Mr. Peter Nwokpo, who shot the girl.
"People said it was an accidental discharge and wondered what type of accidental discharge that will make someone to shoot indiscriminately," he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP George Okafor, confirmed the sad incident.
Okafor said: "Yes, one Okechukwu Nwite of Azuogba-Agu village, Umuhuali community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, reported to the police that on that fateful day around 18:45 hours while he was in the burial ceremony of the late Peter Ude, of the same address, one Peter Nwokpo, a member of the vigilante group, accidentally discharged a cartridge from his pump action gun which hit and killed a six-year-old girl, Chinaecherem Nwite.''
He said that the police had arrested the suspect and while the corpse of the deceased had been deposited in the mortuary. He said the police had also taken possession of the gun.
The state police command, which confirmed the incident, said it had arrested the suspect, Mr. Peter Nwokpo, a vigilante leader, for allegedly killing the six-year-old girl, Chinaecherem Nwite.
Four other persons were injured during the incident, which some residents attributed to an accidental discharge.
It was learnt that the incident occurred at Azuogba Agu village during the burial of Ude.
A resident of the area, who simply gave his name as Okechukwu, said the family of the late Ude had invited the vigilante team, led by Nwokpo, to the ceremony to assist in maintaining law and order when the tragic incident occurred.
"We were in the burial ceremony of one of our kinsmen, Ude, when we suddenly heard a gunshot from the vigilante group invited to the ceremony to maintain law and order.
"After the gunshot, we saw a six-year-old girl hit with bullets lying lifeless on the ground. We made an inquiry and discovered that it was the vigilante leader, Mr. Peter Nwokpo, who shot the girl.
"People said it was an accidental discharge and wondered what type of accidental discharge that will make someone to shoot indiscriminately," he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP George Okafor, confirmed the sad incident.
Okafor said: "Yes, one Okechukwu Nwite of Azuogba-Agu village, Umuhuali community in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, reported to the police that on that fateful day around 18:45 hours while he was in the burial ceremony of the late Peter Ude, of the same address, one Peter Nwokpo, a member of the vigilante group, accidentally discharged a cartridge from his pump action gun which hit and killed a six-year-old girl, Chinaecherem Nwite.''
He said that the police had arrested the suspect and while the corpse of the deceased had been deposited in the mortuary. He said the police had also taken possession of the gun.
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