Two Edo hunters shoot six mourners during burial

Two hunters, John Ebatame and Moses Okoyomon, have been arrested for shooting and injuring six persons at a burial in Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo state.

Spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, SP Kontongs Bello, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Benin, said the men were alleged to have committed the offence during the burial of one Late Martina Rabi at Ama Community.

“On 25/06/2021 at about 1900hrs, Edo State Police Command through the Divisional Police Officer, Agbede Division, CSP Iredia Ogiata received information that there is an ongoing shooting at Ama Community. On receipt of the information, the DPO swiftly mobilized police operatives from the Division to the scene of the incident,” he stated.

Bello added that “On arrival, preliminary investigation revealed that one John Ebatame and Moses Okoyomon were said to have used a double-barrel gun to shoot at six persons in the community during a burial ceremony of one late Martina Rabi.

“Investigation further revealed that the two followed the corpse from Ubiaja in Esan South-East Local Government Area to be buried in Ama Community. Ebatame is said to be a hunter in Ubiaja, Esan South East LGA who followed the corpse from Ubiaja to the area where he fired gunshots into the air which resulted in the damage of the community electricity cable.

“The Youth of Ama Community on noticing that he had destroyed their electricity cable confronted him immediately. In the cause of the argument, he shoots at them injuring six persons, Mathew Enebor, Sule Kadiri, Christian Okpoke, Momodu Ambrose, and Ibadan Okhere ‘M’ and one other unidentified person. The injured person is currently receiving treatment at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.”

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Phillip Aliyu Ogbadu, warned that no one has the power to threaten other people lives with arms and ammunition.

He enjoined the good people of Ama Community not to take laws into their hands as an investigation into the incident has since commenced.