Extrajudicial Killing: Oteri community calls for probe, demands justice

The people of Oteri community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have in a mass protest pressed their demands on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abba Suleiman and the Commissioner of Police in charge of Delta State, Mr. Yakubu Alkali to probe what they described as “extrajudicial killing” of the Community’s Vice Chairman, late Blessing Unusiefe by a team of Local Vigilante from Ughelli known as Bakassi, demanding that justice be done.

The placard carrying community members trooped out en-mass and gathered at the community town hall Oteri to express their disappointment over failure of the Nigerian Police to carry out full-scale investigation into the circumstances that led to the unwarranted killing of the community leader who is a father of 2. The whereabouts of the corpse they said remains unknown to family members and the community.

Some of the placards read: “We want the corpse of Oteri Vice Chairman, Blessing Unusiefe, Ughelli Bakassi”, “Bakassi are liars”, “There was no shootout as claimed by Police/Ughelli Bakassi”, “Oteri community say No to Bakassi intimidation”, “The Police should investigate killing”, amongst others.

Addressing the press, the president of Oteri community Mr. uteme Batere said the community decided to come out in a mass protest is to rise up against the intimidation and injustice perpetrated by security agents on the people of Oteri community, accusing the police of a plot to cover-up the killing of their son. Bateri explained that “the Ughelli Vigilante invaded the community on the 3rd of February shooting sporadically without the community knocking what was happening. They shot the vice chairman and took him away. They claimed Unusiefe was involved in the killing of one Michael Onajiyovwe. I can assure you, Oteri people don’t hide criminals. Oteri is not involved in any criminal act. If you want to disguise yourself under Oteri community, I believe we will unmask you in any criminal matter. After 2 days, they came back again shooting sporadically intimidating the community without any explanation. He was a hardworking man discharging his duties accordingly”. That is why we are out on the street today to demand for an explanation”, the community president stated.

Other Community Leaders, Mr. Johnson Mukoro and Egbonedje Dominic who spoke dismissed the claim by the Police and Vigilante that he was killed in a gun battle, saying, “The ughelli Vigilante came and raided the community and killed the Vice Chairman in cold blood. After shooting him, they whisked him away in an SUV without compunction. We have not seen his remains. We now live in the community in fears and apprehension”, they stated.

However, the Police Public Relation Officer DSP, Celestine Kalu in an earlier statement told the press revealed that “The deceased was a cultist who was involved in a shootout”. The Ughelli Vigilante told Journalists that the late community leader had been under their watch list and being wanted for allegedly operating under the guise of the community executive. He disclosed that “the victim was shot in a shootout and was killed while he was trying to run”.

It would be recalled that a combined team of Ughelli Vilante outfit, nicknamed Bakassi and the Police had on February 3rd killed the Vice Chairman of Oteri Community Executive in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the State on allegation that he was the brain behind series of cult related killings in Ughelli and its environs. The killing has continued to generate tension in the once quiet community.

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