Members of a group of vigilantes working in an estate in the Akili-Ozizor community of Ogbaru Local Government Area in Anambra State have shot dead a final-year student identified as Noel Okechukwu.
The 27-year-old, a Fine and Applied Arts student at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, was killed on Saturday, August 17, 2024.
His family asserts that the shooting was unwarranted, occurring as he was heading to buy fish from a local pond. They claim that an altercation at the estate gate led to the guards firing on Okechukwu.
According to them, despite attempts by the guards to administer water to him after the shooting, he succumbed to his injuries.
Rex Okechukwu, the victim’s father and a former Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Anambra State, criticised the guards' actions.
He argued that even if his son had committed any offence, the proper course of action would have been to detain him and hand him over to the police, rather than taking his life.
“Soon after gunning him down, the guards started giving him water to drink and as soon as he took some quantities of the water, he gave up the ghost and the guards sent a motorcyclist who rushed to inform the bereaved family of the unfortunate incident,” the deceased’s father was quoted as saying in a petition addressed to the police.
In response, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Ogbaru Police Division confirmed receiving a petition regarding the incident.
He reported that the deceased was allegedly involved in looting and vandalising properties within the estate.
Andrew noted that the area is known for issues with unknown gunmen, and suggested that Okechukwu and his associates, armed with pump-action guns, were confronted by the security guards during their criminal activities.
The DPO also raised concerns about the timing of the father's report, which came eight days after the shooting.