Key points

• The Cross River State Police Command has arrested Ushie Joseph, 36, a suspected member of a local vigilante group, over the shooting of Amachi Victor, 36, at Effraya Village in Etung LGA late on Wednesday.
• The victim, who is being treated at a hospital in Ikom, alleges he was robbed of $5,000; police say that claim is still under investigation.
• A locally fabricated pistol suspected to have been used in the attack was recovered, and Commissioner Ajo Geoffrey Ordue has ordered a thorough investigation and due process; no charges have been announced.

Cross River State police have arrested a 36-year-old suspected member of a local vigilante group over the shooting of a villager in Etung Local Government Area and an alleged robbery of $5,000, the command said on Saturday.

The suspect, identified as Ushie Joseph, was tracked to a hideout and detained after an intelligence-led operation, police spokesman Sunday Eitokpah said in a statement issued in Calabar. A locally fabricated pistol suspected to have been used in the attack was recovered and secured as an exhibit.

The victim, Amachi Victor, also 36, of Effraya Village, was attacked at about 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, according to the statement.

The incident was reported to police at about 1:45 a.m. on Thursday. Preliminary investigation indicates the suspect shot the victim with the homemade pistol, Eitokpah said, and the victim was rushed to a hospital in Ikom, where he is receiving treatment.

Robbery claim under investigation

Victor told police he was robbed of $5,000 during the attack. The command was careful to keep that claim at arm’s length.

“The allegation remains subject to investigation and will be established through evidence and due legal process,” Eitokpah said.

Detectives have visited the scene and the hospital as part of the inquiry, the statement added.

The state commissioner of police, Ajo Geoffrey Ordue, directed the investigating team to carry out a thorough and professional investigation, document all relevant evidence and subject the suspect to due process in accordance with the law. The command said it would share further developments as the case progresses.

Vigilantes under scrutiny

The arrest puts a fresh spotlight on community vigilante groups, which fill security gaps across rural Nigeria but operate with little formal oversight.

Etung, a border area along the Cameroon frontier east of Ikom, relies heavily on such groups, and allegations that a member turned his position against a neighbor will be watched closely in the area.

Police have not said what role, if any, the suspect’s vigilante membership played in the incident, or whether the group he belongs to is registered with the state.

Joseph has not been charged, and the police statement describes every element of the case, from the shooting to the robbery, as alleged and under investigation.