Port Harcourt, Nigeria – The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, has confirmed the death of a commercial tricycle operator who was shot dead by a policeman in Rukpokwu, Port Harcourt for failing to give a bribe according to eyewitnesses.
The police commissioner said what actually transpired at 06:00 hours on Thursday where an inspector of police named Christopher Oba shot dead a tricycle rider is a case of being on illegal duty while noting that the police officer was not meant to be at the checkpoint alone.
“He accosted the tricycle rider (keke rider), there was an altercation between him and the tricycle rider, at that moment he is not justified to use his firearms but he used his firearms and shot the tricycle rider”, the commissioner of police said.
The police man was said to have fired a shot at the commercial tricycle rider and he died at the spot. However, other police security operatives arrived at the scene of the event to disarm the police officer and placed him in custody.
Reports from the police say the officer is undergoing trial and will be charged for murder in the coming days, noting that the officer has no justification for using his firearms.
On the backdrop of the public losing confidence in the police force after weeks of the #EndSARS protest, Mukan noted that everyone is responsible for their actions and that the Nigeria police force has laid down rules of operation which if flaunted will attract consequences.
Police shooting of tricycle rider sparks protest in Port Harcourt
The extrajudicial killing of the commercial tricycle rider over a 100 naira bribe sparked a protest involving youths and other members of the community in the Rukpokwu area of Port Harcourt in Rivers State.
The protest was said to have spread from the area to a neighbouring community which has left one person dead following the violence and confrontation between the youths and the police.
Meanwhile the Rivers State police command has condemned the actions of the killer policeman who is set to face murder charges.
The unfortunate event sparked reactions online with the #kekedriver trending for hours and aggrieved citizens sharing their opinions on Twitter.
The police commissioner said the killer officer was on illegal duty and will be brought to justice.
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