Gunmen ambush couple in Delta, kill lady 

Edo launches vigilante network, charges members to tackle insecurity

Unidentified gunmen yesterday opened fire on a couple in Ughelli, Delta State, killing the lady in the process around 11:00a.m. by St Theresa roundabout in Ekuigbo.

Though it could not be confirmed if the assailants were kidnappers or armed robbers, witnesses at the scene of the incident told newsmen that the couple had just finished making some transactions at a Point of Sale (PoS) spot in the area when they were accosted by the gunmen.

Giving details of the incident, a resident of the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it appeared the couple were returning from church when they were accosted by the hoodlums.

The source said: “As soon as the couple saw the gunmen who were inside a green Camry car, they tried to reverse and speed off from the scene only for the gunmen to open fire on them.

“The shots by the gunmen led to the death of the lady who was seated on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. She died immediately at the scene while the man who was driving the car also sustained gunshot wounds during the incident.

“Sensing apprehension that arose from the gunshots, the gunmen immediately fled the scene and headed towards the East-West road.”

MEANWHILE, the Edo State Government has launched a vigilante network to strengthen the state’s security architecture to deal with rising insecurity.

The vigilante network, an initiative of Governor Godwin Obaseki, is a community-led effort to galvanise local communities to partner with government security agencies to provide security and protect lives and property in the state.

A lead expert on the vigilante scheme, Mr. Yusuf Haruna, said the new security arrangement is intended to co-opt key actors in local communities to secure their spaces, gather intelligence, build trust and ensure adequate security across the state.

According to him, “working with the vigilante network, we have divided the state into strata and every team is manning their area. We don’t want criminal elements to survive in any part of Edo State.

“We want to ensure that Edo is safe for our people and free of cultists and kidnappers. Our mission is to smoke out the criminals and ensure that they are not comfortable in our communities.”

He commended communities that have set up vigilantes to work collectively for their sustenance, urging more communities desirous of setting up similar outfits to approach the state government for clearance and necessary guidance.