By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKI—Leader of a vigilante group in Eziga-Idembia, Ezza South Local Government Area of  Ebonyi State, Mr Joseph Ndaba, aged 45, was Monday shot dead by unknown gunmen.

The incident occurred during a wake keep in a compound within the community.

An eyewitness, who begged for anonymity, explained that the gunmen invaded the compound where the wake keep was taking place and shot the deceased in the midst of a crowd.

“We were at the compound where the wake keep was taking place by some minutes past 10pm and suddenly we heard a sporadic gun shot and everyone began to scamper for safety. It was after we heard that the vigilante chairman had been shot dead,” the source said.

Circumstances surrounding the death of the vigilante boss at the time of filing this report had not been ascertained but sources hinted that hoodlums who had been terrorising the community must have committed the crime.

The sources added that since the emergence of the deceased as the chairman of the community vigilante group, the community was no longer a safe haven for the hoodlums who  hitherto terrorised the area.

Vanguard gathered that the burial ceremony of the deceased whose wake keep the vigilante chief was killed had been put on hold until peace returned to the community.

Our correspondent learnt that since the incident, there had been massive arrests in the area by security agents.

Reacting, chairman of Ezza South Local Government Area, Chief Lazarus Ogbee, said he had visited the family of the deceased and promised adequate protection of lives and property of the people of the area.

“The council has stepped into the matter and we are on top of it. We have advised the deceased family not to embark on any form of reprisal attack as the police have made some arrest. I want to assure the people of Ezza South that the law will take its due course,” Ogbee said.

Meanwhile, the state police spokesman, ASP Chris Anyanwu, stated that the police divisional command in Ezza South was yet to report the matter to the state headquarters for further investigation.