Rivers crisis: Police killed my son during impeachment protest — Mother

Amother, Mrs. Callister Ugiri, has raised the alarm that the police in Rivers State killed her son, Onyedikachi Ugiri, during the protest that rocked the move by the House of Assembly to impeach the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
It was gathered that Onyekachi was among the youths who invaded the personal residence of the Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, at the old GRA and attempted to destroy it.

Operatives from the Old GRA Police Station reportedly fired at them and arrested 122 suspects, including the state Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Chijioke Ihunwo.

The police later arraigned the suspects and the court granted them N100,000 bail each.

It was, however, learnt that Onyekachi was hit by bullets fired at the scene of the protest by the police while four others, who sustained bullet wounds, were rushed to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) and the police hospital for treatment.

Callister, mother of slain Onyekachi, who resides at Borokiri area of Port Harcourt, said that his son’s friend told her that her son was killed by the policemen.

She said her son left home on Tuesday for the protest but did not come back, adding that it was on Wednesday that she was told Onyekachi was shot in the head.

The traumatised Callister said she went to the Old GRA police station but was referred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

She, however, said the SCID referred her to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) and the Police Hospital where injured victims reportedly received treatments.

She said: “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 where is her brother, she told me our neighbour Chiwendu took her brother for protest in support of the Governor.

“On Wednesday Chiwendu came back again and told my daughter that he took my son to protest and as police were shooting, bullet caught Onyekachi my son on the head. Then my son ran and entered one building where he died. Chiwendu ran away while others were arrested.


“I went to old GRA Police Station; they said I should go to control room at headquarters. I also went to the control room at headquarters and from there to State CID, they said he was not there.

“I also went to BMH (now RSUTH), there I saw two persons with bullet wounds, but I did not see my son.

“I went to Police Clinic, where they said somebody was with bullet wound, I saw one person, he was not there.

“This morning (Friday) I saw a video of my son’s dead body with blood all over. I am begging the police to provide the dead body of my son wherever it is and also calling on the Governor to come to my aid.”

Asked about the development on Friday during his briefing on police achievements, the Commissioner of Police, Nwonyi Emeka, said there was no report of anybody dying on the day of the incident.

He said: “Whether you are a politician or an ordinary citizen, it is our duty to protect you. So to the best of our ability, no one should lose their lives. We won’t also want people to lose their property.

“As far as I am concerned, so far so good, those who were found on those things that happened that day had since been screened and charged to court. That is what it is all about.

“During the course of that, we never saw anything that had to do with somebody dying”.