VIO Officials Allegedly Kill Ebonyi Elder Statesman

An Elderstatesman in Ebonyi state, Geoffery Mgbada, has reportedly been killed by suspected members of Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIO along the Presco-Ezza road, Abakaliki today, Tuesday May 14th.

Mgbada who was until his death the Secretary of Ebonyi State Elders Council, was said to have been driving with his wife when he was accosted by the VIO officials. An arguemnt ensued between Mgbada and the officials who reportedly pushed him, causing him to hit his head on the concrete road. He was rushed to the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki where he was confirmed dead and his remains deposited in the hospital’s mortuary.

Reacting to Mgbada’s death, the state governor, Dave Umahi, in a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, described the death of the elder statesman as callous and ordered a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. The statement in part reads

“The Governor on hearing about the death of Chief Mgbada expressed great sadness and ordered the Commissioner of Police to arrest and prosecute the suspects who paraded themselves as VIO Officials. Let it be known that the Governor in a town-hall meeting with Ebonyians proscribed all task-force agents working under any guise using the state government as cover.

“In the proscription order, the Governor also dissolved all revenue and tax agents in the state at all levels with a promise to convoke another town hall meeting where a new tax and other revenue will be deliberated and agreed upon and the Governor is yet to convene this meeting before this ugly incident.

“The Governor is saddened by this careless death and wishes to dissociate the state government from the illegal activities of the VIO and other task force agents in the state and directs for immediate arrest and prosecution of such illegal tax or revenue agents.“

Three members of the VIO team were immediately arrested by the anti -kidnapping unit of the Nigeria Police while the leader of the team, an old man was equally arrested.