SaharaReporters gathered that the deceased identified as Eziyi Uchendu was shot around Owerri NTA Junction, along Aba– Umuahia Road on Friday, April 1.
An officer attached to Umuikaa Naval base in Ngwa, Abia State has killed a man over his “refusal to part with a bribe” at a checkpoint.
SaharaReporters gathered that the deceased identified as Eziyi Uchendu was shot around Owerri NTA Junction, along Aba– Umuahia Road on Friday, April 1.
A witness said some officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) who were with the soldiers at the checkpoint stopped Uchendu and made their request known but he failed to comply, insisting that his documents were complete.
He said that the refusal of the deceased to pay the bribe led to a heated argument between him and the FRSC and Naval officers.
The argument later led to the shooting of the driver at close range by one of the soldiers.
SaharaReporters learnt that the situation escalated into a protest by residents which the police mobilised to the area found difficult to control.
“The road safety officers working with the soldiers flagged him down and he complied. They demanded money from him and he refused, insisting that all his papers were intact. It later degenerated into a lot of arguments and one of the soldiers shot him.
“He was coming from Aba towards Umuahia Road, at that Owerri NTA junction. After he was shot, people around started rioting, the officer who shot him said he wanted to shoot his tyre.”
Police Spokesman in the state, Geoffrey Ogbonna could not be reached for comments as calls put across by SaharaReporters to him were not answered nor returned. He also did not reply to a text message sent to him.