The Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) has absolved its officer, Robinson Otobong Abel of the shooting incident which led to the death of a youth, Mr Onyedikachi Nwaogu in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, hometown of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
The NSCDC rather alleged that the late Nwaogu, together with other unidentified youths blocked a convoy carrying some Chinese construction workers.
Onyedikachi’s murder, on Wednesday, sparked wild protest by youths from different communities of Obingwa LGA. The protest extended to Aba, the commercial city centre of Abia, but the efforts of a combined security team prevented the protest from escalating into violence and destruction.
In a statement by the Akwa Ibom State Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr Samuel Fadeyi, claimed that personnel of the corps were escorting a team of Chinese expatriates working on Akwa Ibom/Abia road when they were allegedly waylaid by some youths at Itungwa, Obingwa LGA of Abia State.
He added that the youths numbering over 30, demanded some money from the convoy on the ‘toll gate’ the youths mounted and the refusal of the Chinese to pay the fees demanded by the youths led to an attack on the construction workers and the security officials.
He explained that in an effort to protect himself from attacks, the civil defence officer’s gun went off accidentally, injuring the victim in the process and his men took the injured man to a hospital for treatment but he later died at the hospital.
Corroborating the claim, Abia State Commandant of Civil defence, Mr Nnamdi Nwannukwu described the incident as unfortunate but cautioned Abia youths against taking the laws into their own hands.
Reacting to the development, the Transition Committee Chairman of Obingwa, Mr Kingsley Nnaji and Eze elect of Umuokpo community, Chief Micah Ohajuru, condemned the killing, blaming it on the bad state of the Abia/ Akwa Ibom road.
They appealed to the federal government to urgently fix the road, while condemning Nwaogu’s killing which according to them, was most gruesome.
Meanwhile, Abia State government has called for calm while promising that a thorough investigation would be conducted on the incident.
Meanwhile, the civil defence officer, Otobong is currently being detained at Obingwa Police Division while the body of the victim has been deposited at Christian hospital, Nlagu, Obingwa LGA.