A local vigilante identified as M.M. Francis, attached to a fuel station as security guard in Benin has reportedly shot dead a 5-year-old boy.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday at at Erediawa junction, Ekewan Road, Benin City at about 8:45pm.
The man, who was said to have cocked the gun reportedly placed it on a table and having a discussion with a lady while resting his hands on the same table when the gun triggered.
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Speaking to Info Daily, mother of the 5 years old boy, Samuel Victor, (deceased), Mrs. Blessing Egom, said she was packing her goods to close for the day when she heard the sound of a gun.
She added that when see saw her son fell after the sound, she thought it was the shock that made him fell untill someone helped her to pick him on the floor and handed him over to her, saying “that was when I knew my son had sustained gun injury on his head.
According to her, she sells fruits at the said Erediawa junction, directly opposite the fuel station on daily basis to fend for her family, stressing that the vigilante came out to apologise after the incident.
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“The incident happened on Tuesday night at about 8:45pm when I was packing the fruits I sell and was to close for the day. And when I heard the gun and saw my sun fell, I thought it was the shock, so I was still busy packing my loads when a woman called my attention to him and consequently carried him and handed him over to me.
“And when I carried him, I discovered my son had sustained gun injury from a vigilante security guard attached to Coin Oil Fuel station, Erediawa. The gun bullet penetrated his forehead to back. We rushed him to a nearby hospital and later to UBTH where he was confirmed dead.”
She said the vigilante man presented himself at UBTH and was detained there and later transferred to Evbuotubu police station and now to the state command where the case is being handled.
According to her, when the vigilante was interrogated at the state police command, it was there he (vigilante) confessed that he was just trained for a week and thereafter given gun.
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The 27 years old vigilante was given a pump action gun to work which accidentally killed the boy.
When contacted on phone this morning by Info Daily, Chidi Nwabuzor, SP, who was still Edo State Police Public Relations Officer said he was not aware of the incident and that he would find out and call back.
After hours, Info Daily called back but the PPRO still repeated the same.