A protest had ensued, subsequent to the shooting of a tricycle driver and school boy, Ikechukwu, 17, Monday morning by armed police officers at Rukpokwu, Port-Harcourt in Rivers State.
The deceased was conveyed to the Rukpokwu Police station, accompanied by enraged protesters. However, irate youths staged a protest against police shooting of the teenager.
But, the said protest turned bloody after policemen opened fire on the crowd despite shooting the 17-year-old Schoolboy to death, earlier. Followingly, it was gathered that two were confirmed dead after being shot by the police, while two others were critically injured.
Obinwannem News in a recent report, said some police officers had shot a young tricycle rider along Rukpokwu road, over refusal to pay ₦100 at the police checkpoint. The two injured persons, one Amaechi from Nsukka has a bullet at his back, and Onome (who says he is from Delta State), whose right leg was shattered after being shot, were wheeled into University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital; though one Daniel from Delta State was arrested.
It was also gathered that two dead bodies, in cold blood, were sighted, suspected to have resulted from the Rukpokwu shooting. The (corpses) were taken to the University of Port-Harcourt Teaching Hospital [UPTH] by police officers.
The casualties narrated, respectively, how they became victimised by the unfortunate incident: Whereas, Daniel, a young man who was not shot, but handcuffed and taken by the police, said he worked at a car wash at Rumuodumaya/Rukpokwu; adding that he was arrested on his way home from work, having closed work early enough, due to the ongoing protest. Onome whose leg was severely wounded by the bullet said he was on his way to work when he was fired at.
He said he worked as a security guard. While Amaechi who was shot at the back said he was on his way to work, when the police opened fire on a crowd gathered along the road. He noted he was not part of any protest.
However, Amaechi’s sister, Nkiru, said the police told her that her brother was an “armed robber”. Meanwhile, the Rivers State Police Public Relation Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, in a telephone conversation with Obinwannem correspondent, debunked the scene as he said it was a “mere rumor”. “We are monitoring the incident, but all I can say is that, it’s just a mere rumor, but we have everything under control,” he said.
Nwada Ugochinyere Onyechere reporting, Obinwannem News
