Armed members of a yet-to-be identified cult group operating in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State on Tuesday killed an operative of the Abia State Vigilante Service (ABS).
The incident, out correspondent gathered happened at Clifford road by East Street in Aba South local government area of the state.
The ABS operative whose name was yet-to-be ascertained at the time of filing the report is a security guard at a popular hotel behind Ahia Ohuru market.
The incident which caused pandemonium around the area, according to reports occurred at about 4pm.
Many shop owners including traders at the Ahia Ohuru were forced to close their shops to avoid possible mass arrest.
Narrating the incident, a member of a combined team of security operatives who rushed to the scene that didn’t want it’s name to be mentioned told our correspondent that the suspected cult group members killed and made away with the pump action of the vigilante operative after shooting him.
“From indications, it looks like the cult boys who killed the Bakkasi guy know him and have been trailing him.
“From eyewitness account, the boys who came in a Keke (commercial tricycle), grabbed from behind and snatched the gun from him before shooting him to death.
“By the time army and police arrived the scene, the hoodlums have left. But we were able to pick two expended live cartridges.”
A trader in the area that gave her name as Njideka told our correspondent that they were forced to close shops as they don’t know what brought about the gunshots.
“Suddenly, we heard sound of bullet on the roof of our shops. We thought that gunmen have attacked the army camp here. You know what it is always like when there is a gunshot around military facility.
“I have a sister that escaped death by the whiskers at Izombe in Imo State. With the mindset that all may not be well at the army camp as many of us thought that the gunshot was from unknown gunmen, we began to pack our wares not minding that we are just coming from a sit-at-home on Monday.
“It was when we came out that we saw the body of the Bakkasi operative losing in the pool of his blood. People were running helter-skelter when police and army patrol vans started arriving the scene.
“We learnt that the boys that did this came using a commercial tricycle. I don’t think that any arrest was made, but as we speak, his body has been evacuated from the scene by his colleagues.”
The state commander of ABS, Mr. Idika until the time of filing the report was yet to reply the text message sent to his mobile number.
