Angry youths from Rumuekini community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State on Sunday destroyed shops and other properties in the area over the alleged killing of their friend by policemen.
It was gathered that policemen shot a youth, simply identified as Hardman, after he tried stopping them from making an arrest. The ensuing argument degenerated into a fight between the youths and a policeman, who allegedly shot and injure Hardman.
Hardman was said to have died the following day.
READ ALSO! HE FORCEFULLY COLLECTED N5,000 FROM THE VICTIM! Police dismiss FSARS operative who extorted woman in Ikorodu
An eyewitness, who identified himself as King, said the slain youth challenged the police, stopping them from arresting someone and even started a fight with them, which forced the police to shoot the victim on his knees.
“Yesterday, the police came here to arrest someone, arrested the person and put the person into their van, but one boy that they call Hardman came and said the police had no right to arrest the person.
“He (Hardman) became very angry with the policemen and even fought with them when they were trying to settle the matter, but he refused and started threatening, telling the policemen to wait for him that he would be back.
“As he was rushing home to maybe carry his machete, the policemen now shot his two knees and he fell to the ground and started crawling before some of his friends came and took him away after the police left,” King added.
The eyewitness further explained that the angry youths attacked the property belonging to a man identified as Ndubuisi in the area, claiming that he was the one that called the police, shot their friend.
READ ALSO! THESE TWO CANNED SARDINES ARE UNWHOLESOME! NAFDAC cautions Nigerians
He said,
“Around 12 am or 1 am, some group of boys attacked the house of Ndubuisi, saying that he was the person that made the police to shoot Hardman.
“The boys destroyed his Mazda car, his house, but fortunately, no one slept there. The boys were even saying Ndubuisi should thank God they did not find anyone in the house, otherwise, they would have killed them.”
But King explained that,
“It was this morning that we heard that the boy that was shot yesterday by the police had died.
“Now, his people came out early today around 7am, destroying people’s property, breaking people’s tables and shops and blocking the road. It was the police that came shooting everywhere and the boys now ran away. That is why a majority of shops are closed because of fear.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, said he had not been briefed on the incident.
