A protest broke out in the Omagwa community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, following the alleged extra-judicial killing of a youth by a police officer.
The incident occurred when a policeman attached to the Omagwa Division of the Rivers State Police Command reportedly shot and killed Chikuma Egbule, a native of the community.
The killing sparked immediate outrage, with protesters initially attempting to deposit Egbule’s body at the Omagwa Divisional Police Station. However, they were resisted by officers at the station. The demonstrators then blocked the highway leading to the Port Harcourt International Airport and Owerri, Imo State, causing heavy gridlock.
Reacting to the development, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed that the officer involved had been arrested, and the deceased’s body had been taken to the morgue.
“The command is aware, and the Commissioner of Police is on top of the situation. Normalcy has now been restored, and adequate security is in place to prevent any breach of peace,” she said in a WhatsApp message.
She added that the officer responsible had been detained while an investigation into the incident was ongoing.
