The Anambra Vigilante Group, on Tuesday allegedly set a suspected armed robber ablaze in Awka, Anambra State, capital.
According to witness, the incident happened at Miracle Junction in Ifite Awka, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, (UNIZIK)’s permanent site.
It was gathered that the problem started for the suspected criminals when a group of heavily-armed hoodlums, numbering about six stormed the area, and engaged the vigilante security Group, in a serious gun battle.
It was reported that the armed hoodlums had been terrorising the entire University community occupied by students, and during one of their robbery operations, one of the suspects was apprehended by the vigilante operatives.
It was further gathered that in an attempt by the suspects to rescue one of them who was in the custody of the Vigilante operatives, started a gun battle with the Vigilante operatives, which led to the gun duel between the alleged robbers and the security operatives.
The witness who spoke under the condition of anonymity, said the suspected armed robbers shot down one of the securitymen during the gun battle, while three of the suspects, were caught by the securitymen, as bullets refused to penetrate their bodies.
He said; “They are not actually unknown gunmen, as some people are thinking, but they are armed robbers who had been terrorizing Ifite axis for a very long time.
“The vigilante group arrested them and was holding one of their members when the remaining ones decided to come and rescue him, which made them engage the securitymen in gun battle.
“The armed robbers were actually six in number; but three of them later escaped, while the vigilante group killed one and handed one over to the police, and burnt this particular one you’re seeing because bullets couldn’t penetrate his body”.
And they said he was even the one who shot and killed the security man that was shot dead during the gun battle.”
As at the press time, all efforts to get the reactions of the spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga on the issue, proved abortive, as he was yet to respond questions sent to him after several unsuccessful attempted calls.