Edo Police arrest vigilante for shooting nine boys for playing football in neighbourhood

The Edo State Police Command on Tuesday announced the arrest of a member of the Edo Vigilante group, Abdulrahman Agbontaen, who shot and wounded nine kids who were playing football on Enabulele Street, Ogida Quarters, Benin.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Bello Kontongs, who confirmed the incident and the arrest of Agbontaen, disclosed that the injured kids were taken to Stella Obasanjo Hospital for treatment.

In a statement he endorsed on Tuesday, Kontongs said, “At about 09.00hrs on 23/04/2022 following a distress call, one Abdurahman Agbontaen of Enabulele Street Ogida quarters Benin city was arrested after shooting at kids playing football on the street.

“He used a pump-action automatic gun in the attack with nine of them suffering various degrees of injuries and were taken to Stella Obasanjo Hospital for medical attention. The suspect was arrested and the firearm was recovered from him,” he added.

Narrating what transpired on the day of the incident, Agbontaen said he warned the boys to stop playing football having previously destroyed his properties with their ball.

The boys did not listen to him and an angry Agbontaen brought out his gun and fired at the boys injuring nine of them.

Abdurahman said, “I told them to stop playing football in my area and they refused to listen to me. They have used the ball to destroy things in my house and that was why I warned them. I asked them to go elsewhere and they refused.

“I shot the gun out of anger as I suspected them to be secret cult members. I regret it now and I thank God no one died.”

The head of Egor Local Government Administration and the acting Council Chairman, Dr Igbinigie who was at the hospital to see the injured kids described the incident as shocking, adding, “We want the police to investigate the incident and ensure the right thing is done.”

Kontongs added that the suspect mental state of health would be checked as part of the investigation, noting that he would be arraigned in court for attempted murder and unlawful possession of a firearm”

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