An 18-year-old teenager named Chinedu Abimbor was reportedly shot and killed by Edo State Police Command officers at a checkpoint in the state’s Esan West Local Government Area’s Ekpoma neighborhood.
The event, which apparently occurred on Wednesday, has prompted indignation among teenagers and family members of the deceased, who are demanding justice.
Witnesses said that Abimbor, who was operating a Mercedes-Benz, failed to stop when police flagged him down, which led to the shooting.
“The young man’s refusal to stop angered one of the operatives, who immediately fired at the vehicle, killing the victim in the process,” said a witness who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Afterwards, the police arrested and detained Abimbor’s younger brother, who was in the car at the time. Anger-filled demonstrators allegedly flocked to the streets of Ekpoma on Thursday, calling for Abimbor’s justice and the release of his brother, who is currently in custody.
To further urge their demands, the protesters also assembled at the palace of HRH Anthony Ehizogie Abumere II, the traditional king of Ekpoma.
“We went to the police station to inquire about what could have led to the killing, but the police teargassed us and started shooting,” said Lucky Adaba, a protester’s spokesperson who denounced the police’s behavior, in an interview with newsmen.
“The police have formed the habit of harassing young men driving cars in Ekpoma.”
The Edo State Police Command responded by announcing that it had begun a thorough inquiry into the event. A joint security team and the occupants of an unregistered Mercedes-Benz were involved in the incident, according to a statement released by Moses Yamu, the Command’s Public Relations Officer.
Additionally, Betty Otimenyin, the Commissioner of Police, directed the three patrol teams involved in the shooting to leave right away.
The statement also conveyed her condolences to Abimbor’s family and assured the public that “justice will be served in the end.”
As tensions remain high in Ekpoma, authorities have urged residents to remain calm while investigations continue.
