Family loses father, son same day

A man, Melody Odiazor has allegedly been killed by vigilante members in Edo State, just as he was hurrying home after receiving news that his father was dead.

The grieving mother of Melody, Helen Odiazor 60, has demanded justice for the murder of her son.

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, yesterday said that police were already aware of the matter.

He stated that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Saint Saviour Police Station, and the vigilante group that killed Melody have been invited for questioning.

It was gathered that the late Melody, a truck driver apprentice, was shot by some local vigilante at Tipper Garage, along Saint Saviour Road around 9 p.m.

A family source said: “Melody was returning home after he received informed about the sudden death of his father. He was shot alongside two other boys by a trigger-happy vigilante group. The remains of the victims were afterwards displayed at the St Saviour Police Station.”

Helen, who broke down and cried ceaselessly, said that the loss of her husband and son on the same day was shocking.

She said: “My husband died in a hospital on November 8, while my son died around 4 a.m. My son was rushing home after hearing the demise of his father, when he was shot by vigilante men at St Saviour area. My son was not a robber as the vigilante members are now claiming.” 

The sister of the deceased, Rachel, said policemen told members of the family that Melody was not dead, but was only being treated for gunshot wounds.

She said: “The police have refused to tell us the hospital where they took Melody. They said that two other people, aside from Melody, were shot that fateful morning.  Police said that one died instantly.

Police said that my brother was seriously injured, while the third person is in police custody."

Kokumo, however, said that he had invited all parties to a meeting yesterday, in order to get proper briefing on the case.

He said the impression given to the police was that the vigilante group had an encounter with armed robbers. Now, he had received information about the killings, creating confusion.