PORT HARCOURT: Youths have taken to the streets in the Agip/Ada George area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State to protest the alleged killing of a University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) graduate by the police.
The victim, identified as Anthony Obodo, was reportedly shot during an incident involving police officers at Agip Junction/Ada George.
Residents who spoke about the incident said Obodo was waiting to receive his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) call-up letter and had been using his vehicle for transport services to raise money ahead of his compulsory national service.
According to the accounts, Obodo was driving with passengers when a police patrol team allegedly intercepted the vehicle and demanded money from him.
Sources said the driver told the officers that he had no money to give them and that he was unaware that the police were pursuing his vehicle.
One of the officers allegedly fired at the vehicle, hitting Obodo.
A stray bullet also reportedly struck a Point of Sale (POS) operator who was sitting under an umbrella beside the road, leaving her injured.
The injured passengers and other victims were subsequently taken to a nearby health facility, Palmas Hospital, for emergency treatment. Obodo was reportedly confirmed dead at the hospital.
Following the incident, youths in the area staged a protest on Friday, demanding the arrest and prosecution of the police officer alleged to have fired the fatal shot.
The protesters called for justice for Obodo and urged the authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
However, accounts from some residents who witnessed the incident differed from the allegations made by other sources.
Some residents claimed that Obodo had failed to stop when police officers flagged down the vehicle during a patrol.
According to those witnesses, an officer allegedly opened fire after the driver failed to stop.
The differing accounts have heightened calls for an independent investigation to establish exactly what happened before the shooting.
The father of the deceased, Princewill Obodo, from Agba Ndele in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, expressed anger over reports describing his son as a suspected internet fraudster, commonly referred to as a “Yahoo Boy”.
He rejected the description and maintained that his son was engaged in legitimate work to support himself and prepare for his NYSC programme.
The grieving father called for justice, saying the family wanted the circumstances surrounding his son’s death properly investigated.
He described the deceased as a young man struggling to make a living before his life was allegedly cut short.
As of Friday, the Rivers State Police Command had not publicly commented on the incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, reportedly did not respond to calls seeking confirmation of the incident and clarification of the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
The absence of an official statement has left several questions unanswered, including what led to the confrontation between the police patrol team and the deceased and whether any officer has been identified or subjected to disciplinary action.
The incident has also renewed concerns over alleged police use of firearms during routine patrols and calls for greater accountability when civilians are killed during encounters with security personnel.
The circumstances surrounding Anthony Obodo’s death remain subject to official investigation and clarification by the police authorities.
