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| Onyeogaziri |
A
stray bullet from the gun of a policeman attached to the Rivers State
Police Command has killed a scrap dealer, Mr. Chima Onyeogaziri, at
Eleme Junction in Port Harcourt.
Six days after the incident, members of
the Mbano Brothers’ Youth Association and Scrap Dealers Association have
called on the police authorities to fish out the killer cop and
prosecute him.
Onyeogazi, 30, was hit on the forehead by the stray bullet fired by the policeman, identified as Mohammed Yahaya.
It was leant that trouble started when a
truck loaded with iron scraps was blocked by a police Hilux van while
trying to enter a scrap market at Eleme Junction.
It was said that three policemen jumped out of the Hilux van and demanded the receipt for the items in the truck.
Chairman of the Scrap Dealers’ Association, Port Harcourt branch, Mr. Uche Onyegbule, told PUNCH Metro
on Tuesday that though the receipt for the items was shown to the
policemen, they insisted that the truck must follow them to the station.
Onyegbule said the truck driver,
identified as Louis John, wanted to park the heavy duty vehicle by the
side of the road, adding that the action drew Yahaya’s ire and he
started shooting sporadically.
He said while the driver of the truck was injured, a stray bullet hit Onyeogaziri on the forehead while he was taking his lunch.
“The policemen soon fled the scene,
while the driver and Onyeogaziri were rushed to the hospital.
Onyeogaziri died after losing too much blood.
“Onyeogaziri’s killer must be arrested
and brought to book. The police that killed our brother must be
punished. All we are asking for is justice,” Onyegbule added.
He lamented that when the association’s
members went to the station in the area, the Divisional Police Officer
told them (members of the union) that the man, who was responsible for
the tragedy, was on the run, while other policemen in the patrol van had
been locked up.
Also, the President of Mbano Brothers’
Youth Association, Mr. Ignatius Unachukwu, said, “We don’t want the
matter to be swept under the carpet. If the policemen did not run away
after the incident and rushed Chima to the hospital, he would not have
died.”
The state Police Public Relations
Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, said he was not aware that Yahaya was on
the run, adding that members of the patrol team had been arrested.
He said, “I am not aware that Yahaya is
on the run. All I know is that the policemen that were in that patrol
were all arrested and investigation is going on. Justice will be done in
the matter.
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