Outrage as naval officer shoots, kills pedestrian

Wild protests have erupted in Awaka, a suburb in Owerri, the Imo State capital after a naval officer on a stop-and-search operation shot and killed an innocent pedestrian along Owerri/Umuahia expressway.

Reports say the action by the naval officer triggered demonstrations by irate youths in the area who seized the AK47 rifle belonging to the naval officer.

An eyewitness who declined to be named said one of the naval officers had ordered one of his colleagues to shoot the victim which he did without hesitation and the action triggered the reprisal attacks by the irate youths.

The eyewitness said; “One of the naval officers ordered his colleague to shoot the victim and he immediately obeyed the instruction. The victim died on the spot.

Read Also: POLICE RECRUITMENT: 37,000 applicants sit for JAMB nationwide

“The youths of the community attacked the naval officers. One of their rifles was snatched from them .The building which served as a guest house for them since December was set ablaze.”

The incident was confirmed by the police spokesperson in the state, Andrew Enwerem, who also revealed that the snatched AK 47 rifle belonging to the naval officers had been recovered.

Enwerem said, “We received a distress call that a naval officer at Awaka shot and killed a civilian. The state Commissioner of Police, Dasuuki Galadanchi, mobilised operatives of the community to the area.

“Our men engaged the angry youths who snatched one of the AK47 rifles belonging to the naval officers in a dialogue. The snatched AK47 was recovered by the police and the remains of the victim has been evacuated, he stated.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now