A fresh controversy has erupted in Delta State following the death of a vigilante leader, Liberty Kunu, in police custody, with a senior Warri North lawmaker demanding an independent investigation and accusing authorities of shielding those responsible.
Leader of the Warri North Local Government Legislative Arm, Honourable Duakpemi Kunu Gift, raised the alarm on Tuesday, saying the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death were being deliberately obscured by conflicting police narratives and official silence.
Kunu, who led a private security outfit known as SOS, was arrested by the police over allegations of robbery and gun-running but later died in custody. His brother dismissed the accusations, describing them as a posthumous attempt to criminalise a man who had worked openly with security agencies across Delta State.
According to the lawmaker, the deceased had collaborated with the police and other authorities in tackling cult violence and protecting communities in Warri, Sapele, Ughelli, Jesse, Oghara and parts of Uvwie Local Government Area. He said the security operations of SOS were publicly documented and widely known before Kunu’s arrest.
Gift alleged that the Delta State Police Command was misled by officers directly involved in the incident, citing public video statements by Comrade Umukoro Efemena, former President of the UPU Youth Wing, who claimed to have engaged the Commissioner of Police on the matter.
He faulted both the police and the Delta State Government for failing to launch a transparent inquiry, accusing them instead of issuing “damaging and misleading” claims, including branding the deceased a kidnapper and questioning the legality of weapons used for his security work.
“The weapons were approved for his operations,” Gift said, adding that multiple communities had attested to Kunu’s role in maintaining peace and security.
Breaking his silence after weeks of mourning, the lawmaker said he could no longer remain quiet while official statements, in his words, “rewrite the life and death” of a man he described as a public safety asset.
“I will pursue justice through every legal channel available,” he vowed, insisting that accountability must extend to all those involved, regardless of rank.
The incident has renewed calls for stronger oversight of police conduct in Delta State and raised broader questions about the treatment of community-based security operatives working alongside formal law enforcement.
Warri Lawmaker Seeks Probe into Vigilante Leader’s Death, Accuses Authorities of Cover-Up
