By PEREZ BRISIBE, Ughelli

The Police Saturday maintained sealed lips over unconfirmed report of the death of the Evwreni community vigilante chairman, Tuesday Okuah, who was reported to have died while in custody of the Inspector General of Police, IGP monitoring team, Abuja.

The reports have heightened tension in the community on the heels of the dispute that has trailed the leadership of the community vigilante outfit which had already claimed one life in July.

Though leaders of the community refused to comment on the matter when contacted, one of them told Sunday Vanguard that the vigilante chairman was reported dead last night while in custody of the IGP monitoring team who were investigating the matter under the guise of him committing suicide while in detention.

According to the community source who spoke on condition of anonymity, Mr Okuah in the company of the traditional monarch of the community, HRM Oghenekwevwe Kumane and five others namely; K. K. Kumane, James Asakpa, Ochuko Kumane, Kelly Omojugheri and Stephen Atiri with the deceased, were all invited to Asaba by the IGP team for further investigation before they were taken to Abuja.

Speaking further, the source said: “The late Okuah in company of Ochuko Kumane, Kelly Omojugheri and Stephen Atiri, were all taken to Abuja by the team for further investigation.

“It was while in custody that he was killed with the police claiming that he committed suicide while in detention.”

When contacted, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa feigned ignorance of the incident stating that the state command is not aware of the incident. He said: “I’m in Delta, I do not know what is happening in Abuja. I am just hearing it from you now because we were not informed. If we are not the ones investigating the matter, I won’t know. As far as our command is concerned, we are not aware of it.”

While several calls and messages to the officer in charge of the IGP monitoring team, ACP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman were not responded to, the Force Police Public Relations Officer, FPRO, Frank Mba, promised to get details on the incident when contacted but was yet to do so as at the time of this report. (Saturday Vanguard)

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