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THE life of a family of five is now hanging balance following the gruesome murder of a 14 years old son of a former police officer, Master Aguda Victory by gunmen suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on December 1, 2022 in Benin City, Edo State Capital.
It was learnt that the killing of Master Victory was occasioned by the non availability of his father, Aguda Ajayi Timothy, who was said to be the prime target of the hoodlums.
The ugly incident is coming almost a year after when Timothy, an ex police officer narrowly escaped death by whiskers as the dare-devil reportedly killed his father, Pa. Aguda Ajayi Benjamin, in anger of not meeting the ex policeman at home.
It would be recalled that some members of the militia wing of IPOB, Eastern Security Network (ESN), invaded Timothy's residence in Ikeduru, Imo State March 10, 2022 and killed his father, who was on a visit to his son in Ikeduru.
Trouble, it was gathered started when the Timothy, then officer of the Nigeria Police Force in company of other security personnel on February, 25, 2022 bursted the meeting point of ESN, IPOB Militia wing who were reportedly having a clandestine meeting on how to invade a police station in Ikeduru.
This was few months after him and his squad were alleged to have been responble for the killing of ESN Commander, Ikonso, who was killed in Awomama Community, Imo State by a Joint Military Taskforce.
The Timothy-led joint security team, according to report, neutralised seven of the ESN members after gun duel with the hoodlums and arrested over 24 others in the February 35 operation, a development that allegedly did not go down well with the hierarchy of the IPOB, hence, Timothy and his family members were penciled down for elimination.
According to multiple sources, the now on the run ex policeman was one month after the killing of his father, attacked by suspected IPOB members while on his way to work.
He (Timothy) was scooped to have narrowly escaped death in the hands of the outlawed IPOB members, who after the attack on Timothy vowed to eliminate him and his family, a situation apparently responsible for the redeployment of Timothy to Edo State, his home state for safety.
The hoodlums reportedly traced Timothy and his family members to Edo were they (suspected armed IPOB members) opened fire on first son Aguda Victory, who was alone in the house while his mother, Mrs, Bukola Aguda, and other siblings went to a provision shop in the area.
Worried by the killing of his son, after that of his father in 2022, Timothy and his remaining family members, it was gathered ran to unknown location for possible safety.
This is even as he (Timothy) it was reliably gathered resigned from the Nigeria Police Force, believing that would solve his problem with the daredevil IPOB, who are said to be hell-bent on killing him and his family members.
A source who craved for anonymity over security reasons told our Crime Correspondent that: "Timothy resigned from the police after the killing of his son in Edo state, the hoodlums kept sending dangerous threat messages to him.
"Some armed members of the IPOB in a commando-like-style again invaded Timothy's residence in Benin City, Edo State but luckily for him and his family, they were not at home as at the time of the invasion.
"They (IPOB) searched every nooks and crannies of the area in searching of Timothy and his family before setting their house ablaze, this is even when a distress call was placed to the police division in charge of the area", the source stated.
Some residents who spoke with our Correspendent, appealed to authorities who may be harbouring Timothy and his family members to provide protection for them, as the people expressed fear for the life of the ex policeman and his family.
Contacted, the police image-maker in Edo State, Chidi Nwanbuzor, while confirming the report, said the state command has commenced preliminary investigation into the incident, disclosing that no arrest has been made in connection with the incident.
As at the time of filing this report, whereabouts and safety of Timothy, his wife and three children could not be ascertained.
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