One killed, two injured as hunters shoot vigilantes in error

Itwas a case of the hunter being hunted in Yagba West Local Government
Area, Kogi State, Monday, as one of two sets of vigilante groups
deployed to a crime zone fell to the bullets of another who mistook
their colleagues for robbers, leaving one dead and two others badly
wounded.
Eye witness accounts of the tragedy which occurred between Okunran and
Okoloke communities were unanimous that the incident followed a
tip-off that highway robbers were operating along Egbe-Pategi federal
road, dispossessing travellers of valuables.
Following the tip-off, it was gathered that a distress call from the
local vigilantes in Okoloke was made to the local government council,
which responded by mobilizing more vigilantes from neighbouring
Odo-Ere, the council headquarters and Egbe, the commercial nerve
centre of the council, for reinforcement.
A team of vigilantes, numbering 12, immediately reported to the police
divisional office at Odo-Ere before embarking on the rescue mission.
Confirming the incident, Media Assistant to Governor Idris Wada on
Research and Documentation, Mr Ralph Agbana, who hails from the
council, told newsmen that as part of their strategies, the local
governmentvigilantes, on arrival at the scene, decided to split into
two groups of six preparatory to engaging the robbers.
He said: "On their way, they met a car driven by one of the victims of
therobbers who narrated his ordeal to them, confirming that the men
of the underworld were still operating.
A group of vigilantes then entered the car towards the scene. But as
soonas the robbers sighted the car they had robbed, they took to their
heels.
The vigilantes came down and fired at the robbers but their efforts
were too late as they all disappeared into the bushes.
As the vigilantes re-strategized to ambush the robbers, another set of
six hunters from Okoloke, joining forces with the vigilantes to
dislodge the robbers but who claimed ignorance of the deployment of
vigilantes from the local government, opened fire on the local
government vigilantes who were caught off-guard.
One of the victims, whose name was given as Abayomi Sunday, was said
to have died instantly from bullets that hit him on the head.
Two of his colleagues, whose names were given as Bamidele Olayemi
andDele Asebiobirin, however, survived with bullet wounds on their leg
and thigh and are said to be responding to treatment at the ECWA
Hospital, Egbe.
Vice chairman of the council, Hon Omoniyi Adeyemi, also confirmed the
incident, saying five of the unregistered hunters who allegedly opened
fireon the vigilantes have been arrested and are being detained at the
Divisional Police Office, Odo-Ere, while a sixth suspect was still at
large.
The council chief further disclosed that although the shooters were
identified as hunters who claimed to have joined in the onslaught
against the robbers as volunteers, they were not members of the
official vigilante group recognized by the council authorities.