The family of a 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt graduate, Anthony Obodo, has demanded justice over his alleged killing by policemen in Port Harcourt, with his father accusing the officers involved of abandoning their duty post at the Nigerian Bar Association conference before the fatal shooting.
The allegation came as protests over Obodo’s death entered the third day on Tuesday, with his relatives, friends and other youths returning to the Ada George-Agip Junction, where the young man was shot on August 27.
Obodo, a recent UNIPORT graduate who was reportedly awaiting his National Youth Service Corps call-up letter, was driving when policemen allegedly flagged him down.
Witness accounts cited in reports said the officers chased the vehicle after he allegedly failed to stop before one of them fired three shots. One of the bullets reportedly hit Obodo inside the vehicle.
His car subsequently lost control and hit passers-by, leaving at least two other people injured, according to the police and other reports. Obodo was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead.
The Rivers State Police Command identified the alleged shooter as Corporal Alfred Louis and said he and other members of his team had been detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department for investigation.
The command said its preliminary account was that an altercation between Obodo and Louis escalated into a physical scuffle during which a firearm was discharged.
Police also said Louis was attacked and beaten by an angry mob after the shooting, sustaining multiple injuries, before other officers rescued him and recovered his rifle.
But Obodo’s family has rejected any suggestion that the young graduate was involved in criminal activity, insisting that he was an innocent civilian.
During Tuesday’s protest, demonstrators carried placards bearing messages such as, “We are not safe anymore, Anthony Obodo was a friend, brother and son. Give us justice,” and “Anthony was shot dead by the police. We need justice.”
Speaking for the protesters, Charles Chukwu urged the Rivers State Government, police authorities and other relevant institutions to ensure that the circumstances surrounding Obodo’s death were thoroughly investigated.
Chukwu also demanded that the officer alleged to have fired the fatal shot be publicly identified and prosecuted if found culpable.
He said the protesters were particularly worried that a police officer entrusted with protecting citizens could allegedly shoot an unarmed young man.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, appealed for calm and assured the protesters that the command would not protect any officer found responsible.
Adepoju said the officers involved had already been arrested and detained, stressing that anyone found culpable would face the consequences.
The CP described the killing as condemnable and promised that those responsible would be made an example of to deter similar incidents.
But the biggest bombshell came from Obodo’s father, Princewill Obodo, who alleged that the policemen involved were originally deployed to provide security at the NBA Annual General Conference held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt.
According to the grieving father, he was informed by the Divisional Police Officer that the officers were expected to return to their duty post by 7pm but allegedly left the conference venue before the shooting occurred.
He questioned why officers allegedly assigned to another security duty ended up at the Ada George-Agip area where his son was killed.
“I want justice for my son because my son is innocent,” the father said, adding that police officials who visited the family had also confirmed his son’s innocence.
Princewill said the family had been devastated by the death and appealed to Nigerians and the authorities to ensure that his son’s killers did not escape justice.
“I feel broken. I feel highly broken. My heart bleeds. I have not had peace since the demise of my son. The entire family is in mourning,” he said.
The Rivers State Government has also expressed sympathy to the bereaved family and called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. According to the state Ministry of Information, the father alleged that police officers pursued his son and shot him, causing his vehicle to veer off the road.
The case has continued to generate anger in Port Harcourt, with civil society groups also demanding a transparent investigation and prosecution of any officer found culpable.
For now, the police investigation remains ongoing, while Obodo’s family and protesters insist that nothing short of justice will satisfy them.
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