Ekaette Bassey
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) Akwa Ibom Command has absolved one of its officers of blame in the death of a man during a shooting incident in Umuokporo community, Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia on Sept. 8.
The NSCDC expressed regret over the death of the deceased, Mr Onyekachi Wogu and extended its condolences to the bereaved family.
The Akwa Ibom State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Samuel Fadeyi, however, attributed the incident to accidental discharge.
Fadeyi in a statement issued in Uyo on Thursday said that the deceased died following gunshot wound sustained when struggling to disarm the officer who was on a security escort with two Chinese expatriates.
The officer, Mr Robinson Otobong was said to be on a protective assignment for a road construction company, CGGC Global projects, and its workers for the rehabilitation of the Ikot Ekpene-Aba highway.
“On the Sept. 8, he was on a mobile protective assignment for two expatriates of CGGC in a Hilix vehicle in transit to Ikot Ekpene from Aba.
“They were on the Obingwa section at about 1630hrs when they got to a bad section of the road. In a bid to access the good portion of the road, they saw a barricade and some persons with shovels, matchets and sticks.
“Officer Robinson initially believed that they were community youth, so he came down from the Hilux to talk to them and clear the barricade.
“Initially they allowed him but immediately they saw that he is escorting white expatriates, they became violent brandishing their weapons and seeking to disarm the officer to get at the expatriates for whatever reasons.
“Sensing danger of harm to himself and abduction or harm of his principals, Robinson retreated but they surged at him with their cutlasses and shovels, so much so that he had to fire a warning shot.
“The shot did not deter them as they rushed him with sticks, matchets and shovels, trying to disarm him.
“It was in the ensuing struggle that a second shot was fired and the leader of the mob who grabbed the muzzle of the gun was shot.
“At the time, the driver who had seen the hostility and heard the gunshots had manoeuvred the Hilux to Robinson to leave the scene with the expatriates but Robinson took compassion on the shot hoodlum and in a bid to save him he carried him into the Hilux and sped off in search of a hospital.
“Wogu was however, pronounced dead on arrival unfortunately,” Fadeyi said.
The state commandant further explained that the officer was however attacked by youths of the community who besieged the hospital where the deceased was taken to for medical attention with the assistance of some soldiers.
He said, “It is, however, in view of these happenings that I find it regrettable that it will be reported without verification that our officer recklessly shot the deceased in front of his compound.
“I believe the notoriety of this area is well known to travellers on that road and their history of violence even on security personnel is not hidden.”
Collaborating the story, the security driver of the Hilux vehicle, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the deceased was hit by bullet from the officer’s gun while trying to disarm the NSCDC personnel.