Mother of a 27-year-old young man identified as Onyekachi Ugiri, who was allegedly killed by the police during the protest that rocked Port Harcourt over the move by the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach the state governor has demanded her son’s corpse.
Protesters had taken over the major streets of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of the state and entrance into the Government House Port Harcourt in solidarity with the governor over the alleged impeachment which Sunday night led to the burning of the chamber of the state assembly.
It was gathered that the police personnel had shot the protesters inside Old Government Reserved Area (Old-GRA) when some youths attacked the home of the Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaechwule.
It will be recalled that some youths had left the gate of the government house to the assembly quarters over reports that the house members were meeting somewhere. It was learned that the youths, however, stormed Amaehwule’s residence and 122 of them including the State Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Amb. Chijioke Ihunwo, were arrested by the police. It was later learnt that police shot four people before whisking away the other youths who were later arraigned in court, but granted bail.
Mother to Onyekachi, the late victim, Mrs Callister Ugiri, who resides at Borokiri area of Port Harcourt said that her son’s friend who was part of the protest told her that her son was killed by policemen.
Ugiri said her son left home on Tuesday for the protest but did not come back till the rumor of his death came on Wednesday, adding that he was shot in the head.
According to the bereaved mother: “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 the whereabout of her brother and she told me that our neighbour, Chiwendu took her brother for protest in support of the Governor.”On Wednesday, Chiwendu came back again and told my daughter that during the protest, as police were shooting, bullet caught Onyekachi, my son on the head and ran into one building where he died. Chiwendu ran away while others were arrested. “This morning (Friday 3 November 2023) I saw a video of my son’s dead body with blood all over him. I am begging the Police to provide the corpse of my son wherever it is, I’m also calling on the Governor to come to my aid.” However, at press time, Rivers State Police Command could not confirm the report.