Some Ogoni youths are now calling for the prosecution of a police officer who shot and killed a security guard at the Marine Base area of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The officer simply identified as Inspector James serving at the Marine Base Police station shot and killed one Gospel Gbaraka, a 28-year-old staff of Bulk Strategic Reserve limited located at Abonnema wharf.
A statement by the Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) said it received the distressing and shocking news of the extra-judicial murder of one of its youths and shining lights, Mr. Gospel Gbaraka at the hands of a gun-wielding member of the Nigerian Police Force.
President-General of OYF, Comrade Legborsi Yamaabana said Gbaraka was on duty at his security post before he was killed.
“The said Inspector James is also a police security personnel attached to the company. There were no altercations, riot or crisis situation at the company involving groups of persons requiring the use of live bullets to disperse crowds, neither was there any existing problem between the deceased and Inspector James.
“Eyewitness accounts state that Inspector James mistakenly or deliberately discharged his AK 47 assault rifle and thereby killed Mr. Gospel Gbaraka in cold blood.
” As a youth body, we are incredibly pained that the life of this young man has been taken, particularly now that Nigeria is at a crossroad and the world has been awoken to the demands of #EndSars protesters whose focal point is to end the recurring decimal of police brutality and extrajudicial killings. This is one of too many as other Ogoni sons/daughters have been killed by the Nigerian Police in like manner.
“The Ogoni Youths demand for justice over the life of Gospel Gbaraka. We call on the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command to investigate this horrific incident and ensure that the erring officer is prosecuted and brought to book. The family of the deceased, at least deserves the consolation that their son’s life was not wasted unjustifiably for nothing.
It was gathered that the trigger-happy officer has been arrested and is being detained at the Mile One Police station.
