A mother, Mrs. Callister Ugiri, has raised the alarm that the police in Rivers State killed her son, Onyedikachi Ugiri, during the protest that rocked the move by the House of Assembly to impeach the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Operatives from the Old GRA Police Station reportedly fired at them and arrested 122 suspects including the state Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Chijioke Ihunwo.
The police later arraigned the suspects and the court granted them N100,000 bail each.
It, however, learnt that Onyekachi was hit by bullets fired at the scene of the protest by the police while four others, who sustained bullet wounds, were rushed to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) and the police hospital for treatment.
Callister, mother of slain Onyekachi, who resides at the Borokiri area of Port Harcourt said that his son’s friend told her that her son was killed by the policemen.
She said her son left home on Tuesday for the protest but did not come back adding that it was on Wednesday that she was told Onyekachi was shot in the head.
The traumatized Callister said she went to the old GRA police station but was referred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID)
She, however, said the SCID referred her to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) and the Police Hospital where injured victims reportedly received treatments.
She said: “On Tuesday, I heard that Chiwedu, one of our neighbours came to the house to carry my son, Onyekachi, to go for protest in support of Governor Sim Fubara.
“At night after I waited and did not see my son, I asked my daughter where her brother was, she told me our neighbour Chiwendu took her brother to protest in support of the Governor.
“On Wednesday Chiwendu came back again and told my daughter that he took my son to protest and as police were shooting, a bullet caught Onyekachi my son on the head. Then my son ran and entered one building where he died, Chiwendu ran away while others were arrested.
“I went to old GRA Police station, they said I should go to the control room at headquarters, I also went to the control room at headquarters from there to State CID they said he is not there. I also went to BMH (now RSUTH) where I saw two persons with bullet wounds, I did not see my son. I went to the Police Clinic, where they said somebody had with bullet wound, I saw one person, but he was not there.
When asked about the development on Friday during his briefing on police achievements, the Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Emeka, said there was no report of anybody dying on the day of the incident.
He said: “Whether you are a politician or an ordinary citizen, it is our duty to protect you. So to the best of our ability, no one should lose their lives. We won’t want people to lose their property.
