Police arrest hunters for shooting, injuring six during burial

Two hunters, John Ebatame and Moses Okoyomon of Ama in Esan Southeast Local Government Area of Edo State have shot and injured six persons at the burial of late Martina Rabi.

Edo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Bello Kontongs, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the incident happened over the weekend.

He said operatives have arrested the two hunters for further investigation.

He said: “On 25/06/2021 at about 1900hrs, Edo State Police Command, through Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Agbede Division, CSP Iredia Ogiata, received information that there was shooting at Ama Community under his AOR (Area of Responsibility). On receipt of the information, the DPO swiftly mobilised police operatives from the division to the scene of the incident.

“On arrival, preliminary investigation revealed that John Ebatame ‘M’ and Moses Okoyomon ‘M’ were said to have used double barrel gun to shoot at six persons in the community during a burial ceremony of one late Martina Rabi ‘F’.

“Investigation further revealed that John and Moses followed the body from Ubiaja in Esan Southeast LGA to be buried in Ama community. John, who is said to be a hunter in Ubiaja, followed them from Ubiaja to the area where he fired gunshots into the air, which resulted in the cutting of Ama community’s electricity cable.

“The youths of Ama, on noticing that he had destroyed their electricity cable, confronted him immediately. In the cause of the argument, John threatened to shoot at them, which he eventually did, that resulted to injuring five male persons: Mathew Enebor, Sule Kadiri, Christian Okpoke, Momodu Ambrose, Ibadan Okhere and one other person, whose name is unknown.

“The injured persons are receiving treatment at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. The following exhibits were recovered from the suspects: one double-barrel gun and seven expended cartridges,” he said.

Courtesy (excluding headline) The Nation