Gunmen

Richard Elesho

The killing of a young man a few days to his final examination in Odo Ere, headquarters of Yagbawest Local Government Area, LGA, kogi state by blood thirsty gunmen, has thrown the community into mourning and panic.

Kola Sunday, a senior secondary school 3 student of United Comprehensive College, Gbaraga, and two of his friends had gone to the farm in search of wood to make a hoe on Saturday when they encountered the evil men who made for their abduction. On impulse, the scared boys attempted to escape, prompting the criminals, suspected to be Fulani to halt their speed with decisive gunshots.

As it turned out, a bullet hit Kola, described as a native of Isanlu Esa on the head, and he went down never to rise again. His luckier colleagues managed to escape and recount their ordeal on getting to the village.

It was gathered that the community immediately organised a rescue party comprising the police, hunters, and vigilantes to comb the forest. The corpse was then retrieved and brought back to the village amid wailling and gnashing of teeth by the hapless mourners. The killed student was also said to be learning a trade in his free time.

“Herders shot three of the young boys on the farm on Saturday. Unfortunately, the bullet hit the head of one of them , kola Sunday. He  fell down  and died in the process before help could reach him . The two survivors came home with gun wound to alert the community of the encounter, which ignited emotion in the whole community, ” an unnamed source reportedly narrated

According to the Babatunde Muyiwa Stephen, the spokesperson of “the Better Yagba West  Youths Forum”, “the death of of the young man ,Kola Sunday is not only  a  blow to his family and friends but also a dark stain on the collective conscience of Yagba  society.

“We vehemently condemn this senseless act of violence. The loss of such a promising young soul at the prime age of his life and academic career is both heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable.Our hearts go out to Kola’s family, his classmates, and all those affected by this tragedy”.

The group in a statement called on “the Yagba West Local Government Authority, the leadership of Ere community, security agencies, and all critical stakeholders to synergize efforts in finding lasting solutions to the growing insecurity threatening the peace and stability of Yagba West”

The Kogi state police command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),  SP William Aya who was contacted over the ugly development promised to reach out to  the operatives of  the command in the area to get the true picture of the incident .

The Kogiwest senatorial zone has been in the grip of rampaging gunmen involved in senseless raping, kidnapping, and killing of innocent victims.