Suspected herdsmen kill head of vigilante, Gov Yahaya kicks against protest

The Chairman of Bunu Hunters and head of vigilante, Suku community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government council of Kogi State, and his son were murdered by unknown gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday.

The armed men invaded the residence of Caleb Ose at Suku in about 3am on Tuesday.

A source said that they broke into his house and gunned him and his son Sunday down before escaping from the scene.

One of his daughters, Kemi Shola Caleb who was in the house when the gunmen attacked disclosed that they were asking for money and they even held them hostage and packed things from their shop.

She said they used both machetes and guns on her father. However, it was the sound of the gunshot that woke people up and on getting to the scene, they met the Chairman and the son in a pool of blood.

Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello has condemned the killing, saying security agencies have been charged to ensure those behind the murder are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.

In a statement issued on Tuesday through his Director-General of Media and Publicity to the Governor, Evangelist Kingsley Fanwo, Governor Bello said it is “unacceptable to his Government and the people of Kogi State”; urging for restraints as security agencies have been deployed to ensure the arrest of the murderers.

“As the Governor of the State, the security of lives and property is what I have sworn to protect. It is therefore unacceptable to us as a people for anyone to murder our citizens. Every life is important to us and we will stop at nothing to unravel the masterminds of the heinous crime.

“Our administration has placed premium attention on security and it is therefore unfortunate that we still have flashes of such dastardly act.

“It is too early to attribute the killings to anyone and no one should take laws into his or her hands. The late Caleb Osho was not only the head of the Vigilante Group in Suku, but also the person responsible for logging activities in the community.

“Given the centrality of Suku Community to the politics and economy of the area, we have no choice than to allow security agencies to launch a full-scale investigation into the circumstances leading to the crime. We will support them to achieve success.

“I directed the State Security Adviser to mobilize security agencies to the place which had been done. Our people must be safe from the pangs of Anti-Social criminals who will surely lose the battle against our well-woven security architecture.

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“I commiserate with the family of the late Mr Oshe and the entire Suku community for the irreparable loss. All I can assure you at this moment is that we will ensure justice is done and that we will spread our security dragnet to avert this kind of security issue”.

The Governor warned the people in the affected area not to launch any reprisals; assuring them that the security agents on ground have all it takes, not only to protect them but to also apprehend the murderers.

“I have directed the Security Agencies to make sure the entire area is well combed to ensure anyone bearing unauthorized arm is made to face the wrath of the law”, he said.

Also, the Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly representing Kabba/Bunu State Constituency, Rt Hon Prince Matthew Kolawole has condemned in strong terms the killing of the Chairman, Bunu Hunter Association, Caleb Oshe and his son, Sunday Oshe in Suku community in Bunu district of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area by yet to be identified herdsmen.

He said it is barbaric and provocative for a reasonable person and patriotic citizen to be attacking a vulnerable community and killing people at will.