In a shocking incident in Enugu State, a neighbourhood vigilante group in Aji community has been accused of executing two men, Stanley Omeke and Kingsley Igbonasi Odo-Okoro, on December 16, 2024. The vigilantes, however, claim that the two men were dangerous highway robbers gunned down in a shootout. Families of the victims, however, have dismissed the accusations, claiming the two men were executed without trial, and have demanded a thorough investigation.
Stanley Omeke, from Aguibeje community, and Igbonasi Odo-Okoro of Aji community, had reportedly gone Christmas shopping together on the afternoon of December 16. At about 5:00 p.m., as they waited for a commercial motorcycle at Aji Junction, members of the local vigilante group approached Omeke, ordering him to follow them without explaining the reason for his arrest.
Stanley’s wife, Nmesoma Omeke, recalled the heartbreaking encounter. She said, “When they approached us, they started shouting at my husband, demanding that he follow them. We asked them what he had done, but they would not provide any explanation. I urged him to go with them to avoid getting beaten.” She hurriedly contacted Stanley’s close friend, Kingsley, hoping to understand why her husband was being detained. After Kingsley arrived to inquire about the situation, neither he nor Stanley returned.
The following morning, disturbing rumors spread throughout the community, claiming the two men had been executed by the vigilantes at Okpo Union Primary School in Aji. With no sign of the men, Kingsley’s stepbrother, Arinze Odo-Okoro Onuwa, took it upon himself to investigate. He headed to the vigilante office, where he was met with silence. He was then forced to file a missing persons report with the Igboeze North Police Station.
“The next day, we were told they were taken to a school and shot dead,” Arinze shared. He vehemently denied the vigilante’s claim that the two men had been highway robbers, stating, “We live in this community. Everyone would know if there had been any robbery. This was a made-up story to cover up what they did.”
As news of the executions spread, Stanley’s brother, Jude Omeke, was devastated by the confirmation that his sibling had been killed by the vigilantes. Jude said he was contacted by the Divisional Police Officer in Igboeze North on December 17, who informed him that two bodies had been brought to the station by the vigilantes. Initially, the vigilantes had claimed that the two men had been killed by soldiers during a firefight, but the group later admitted to killing the men themselves, asserting it was in self-defense during an alleged confrontation.
Jude was quick to question the legitimacy of the vigilantes’ version of events. “Where are the guns? If they had engaged in a gunfight, where are the weapons? My brother is not a criminal. This was a calculated execution,” he stated. He called the authorities to intervene, denouncing the rising wave of killings carried out by vigilantes. “The government cannot stand by and let vigilante groups take lives at will. These acts of murder must stop,” he continued.
Adding a further layer to the troubling situation, both Jude and Arinze believe that the killing may have been premeditated. Stanley had been involved in an ongoing legal case with some members of the vigilante group, which may have motivated the group to take drastic and unlawful action.
The families expressed outrage at the vigilantes’ unchecked power. Arinze criticized the group for acting beyond their legal mandate, saying, “Vigilantes are not the law. They can’t judge, sentence, and execute people at will. The government has a legal system for handling crimes, not armed civilians taking matters into their own hands.”
The tragic deaths have left deep scars in the affected families. Nmesoma, who is now left to care for their two young children, tearfully lamented, “I don’t even know if my husband is truly dead or alive. All I want is the truth, and for my children to have their father back.”
The brutal killings have ignited a fierce call for justice across the community and from beyond. Nmesoma and the Odo-Okoro family are now demanding immediate action from the Inspector General of Police, the Enugu State Police Commissioner, and even President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure the vigilantes are held accountable for their actions.
“We cannot allow people to take the law into their own hands without consequences,” Jude Omeke insisted. “These vigilantes must face justice, and the truth must be revealed.”
