Posted by By Simon Ebegbulem on
TENSION heightened yesterday in Ebo and Ogunmyenyi communities in Oredo Local Government Council of Edo State, following the shooting of a 23-year-old man, Philip Asemota by youths suspected to be natives of Ogunmyenyi community.
BENIN CITY - TENSION heightened yesterday in Ebo and Ogunmyenyi communities in Oredo Local Government Council of Edo State, following the shooting of a 23-year-old man, Philip Asemota by youths suspected to be natives of Ogunmyenyi community.
The incident which occurred at about 8.30am, yesterday, caused pandemonium in Ebo community, as the Ogunmyenyi youths stormed the area, shooting sporadically and in the process inflicted several degrees of injuries to members of the community, including Asemota who was shot in his hand at close range.
Consequently, the Edo state police command deployed a team of policemen in the area to quell further attacks and also fish out the youths that perpetrated the act.
When Vanguard visited the emergency ward of the Benin Central hospital, the place was like a pool of blood as the doctors and nurses battled to save the life of the victim.
Narrating his ordeal to Vanguard after regaining consciousness, Asemota whom Vanguard learnt had over fourteen pellets extracted from his body said "my cousin and I were on our way to the farm when we were confronted by these youths with guns and cutlasses.
"They asked us to sit on the ground, suddenly one of them fired a shot at me and my hand went limp and I slumped. They started cutting my body with machete. I became unconscious because blood was gushing out from all parts of my body, that was how I found myself lying on the hospital bed."
Asked if there was any dispute between his Ebo community and the attackers, he asserted that "there have never been any disagreement between us because we are neigbours, we have friends there too."
Meanwhile, elders of both communities have condemned the attack, accusing the youths of trying to provoke a confrontation between the two communities. The Odionwere (head) of Ebo community, Pa Ikhiriaro who spoke to Vanguard on the incident, disclosed that both communities have signed a peace accord at the office of the AIG, Zone 5, Benin.
He noted that since the elders of Ogunwyenyi have disociated themselves from the actions of their youths and pleaded for forgiveness ,they had to sign the accord in order to avert a bloody communal clash.
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Peter Ogboi said the command was already investigating the incident and has deployed mobile policemen in the area to maintain peace and also apprehend those involved.
He added that "the command would not tolerate any act of violence in the state, particularly acts capable of leading to bloodbath between communities in the state."