The mother of a young man who was shot dead during a solidarity march on Tuesday by youths in Rivers State who were protesting against the planned impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara by the State House of Assembly, is demanding the release of the body of her son.
Some youths in the state had protested against the impeachment notice served by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on Fubara on Monday 30 October 2023.
The youths had taken to the streets of the Old Government Reserved Area, Old GRA, in Port Harcourt, and in the process attempted to pull down the gate to the residence of the embattled Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule.
They had given Amaewhule two hours to vacate the official residence of the Speaker, but were dispersed by police operatives attached to the Old GRA Police Station.
Three persons were said to have been shot during the process, one of whom was reported dead, while 150 youths were arrested, arraigned, and granted bail in a Magistrate Court on Wednesday, 1st November 2023.
Callister Ugiri, the mother of Onyekachi Ugiri, who was reportedly killed during the protest by a stray bullet, is calling on the Rivers State Police Command to produce the body of her son.
Ugiri said, “On Tuesday, one of our neighbors, his name is Chiwendu, came to call my son so that they will go to Governor’s protest, to support the Governor’s protest.
“We waited in the night, Onyekachi did not return. So, I asked my daughter where Onyekachi went. She said Chiwendu carried him to go to the governor’s protest.
“On Wednesday morning, Chiwendu came back and said he carried Onyekachi to the protest and as the police were shooting, a stray bullet hit him (Onyekachi) in the head and he fell.
“He ran to a building where he died. I went to the Old GRA Police Station; they directed me to go to the control room. We went there on Moscow Road.
“They directed us again to go to State CID; they said they had taken other people away.
“They directed us to BHM hospital; I went there and saw two people that were hit by a stray bullet. As we reached there, I didn’t see my son. They asked us to go to the police clinic, I went there and my son was not there.
“Now I have seen the video, it is my son. I’m begging the governor to help me see the body of my son, including the police, anywhere they have kept my son, they should bring him for me. I have been looking for his body. I saw my son in the video where he was shot. Please wherever they are keeping the body of my son, they should bring him.”
In the meantime, the Rivers State Police Command, has denied knowledge of the shooting of any individual during the intervention at the residence of the Speaker by police operatives.
