Ona Jonas Oil, a petrol station located in the commercial city of Onitsha in Anambra State, was on Saturday saved from destruction following the timely intervention of the Rapid Response Squad of the military personnel and policemen in Onitsha who prevented an irate mob from razing down the station.

The incident was triggered when a security man attached to the filling station shot and killed a middle-aged man.

News Express learnt that the deceased was having a disagreement of N500 balance from a business transaction with a GSM phone repairer near the filling station when the vigilante man contracted for security duties at the station accosted them.

According to an eye witness, Mr. Chima Ikeagwu, who spoke to News Express, the supposed peacemaker ordered the two men to kneel down and they obeyed but a bullet soon went off from his gun and caught one of them on his chest and he died instantly.

This, Ikeagwu disclosed, attracted the attention of a mob but soldiers and policemen arrived the filling station immediately the crowd was gathering and dispersed them. He said that their prompt arrival was sequel to a distress call made by the owner of the station whose name was not disclosed.

“As soon as the military personnel and policemen arrived, they cordoned off the station, dispersed the mob and arrested the vigilante operative and whisked him off to Ogidi Police Division while the victim’s corpse was taken to a nearby mortuary,” Ikeagwu stated.

As at the time of filing this report, a retinue of policemen were still ensuring security at the petrol station which was closed for business, as a result of the incident. Efforts to see the petrol station owner proved abortive.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO at Ogidi, Hassan Musa (CSP) who confirmed the incident on phone, said the vigilante operative was already in the police custody, saying that he was equally at the petrol station to supervise the prevention of the mob action.

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