Policeman allegedly shoot one to death in mourning house

Ini Billie, Uyo

A policeman, one Awana Jacob, attached to the Eket Division in Akwa Ibom State, has allegedly shot one Emmanuel Dickson to death at a mourning house.
It was learnt that the suspect shot his victim in the head and fled the scene but resurfaced to confess that he had an accidental discharge.
The incident happened on Sunday, October 10, 2021 around 5:05 pm in the deceased’s father residence along Edoho Ukpong Street, Idua village in Eket, as the deceased was trying to jump over a fence to escape being shot after a police team arrived the venue.
The chairman of Ukwa Village Council, Mr Samuel Etukudoh, who confirmed the incident in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, called for justice over the death of the deceased, adding that the victim was his brother in-law.
He explained that the incident occurred when a police team bashed into a mourning house uninvited and one of them shot at the deceased for trying to escape from them.
“It was about 8am when my wife called to notify me of the incident. My wife is the sister to the deceased. I was informed that my brother in-law came back from the opening of a mourning house, just to tidy himself and go back again.
“They have a cultural group called Nkotriko. So, the police just bashed in and they started running, and this boy in question jumped from the fence just to escape and the police shot him dead, and what he is trying to tell us is that it is an accidental discharge.
“When I was informed, I had to call the DPO and he said he has just received the information. The following day, I called the Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme,” he stated.
Elder sister to the deceased, Princess Nelly Dickson expressed shock over the untimely death of her younger, adding that she is yet to see her brother’s corpse as at the time she was speaking with the press.
“It was on Sunday, I was in a salon, my mum called me to come to the house. When I arrived, I saw a large crowd in the compound and I went straight to meet with my parents to know what was happening.
“They told me that my brother went to a mourning house and some people were telling them to rush that some policemen came and were shooting.
“And when the police left, they were asking the officer, I hope you have not shot anybody and they asked him about three times. Only for them to go back and inform the DPO about what happened.
“It was on Monday that the DPO called us. As I am speaking to you, I have not seen my brother’s corpse,” she lamented.
When the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Odiko Macdon was contacted, he said the information he had about the incident is still sketchy, noting that until he has a full grasp of the incident he would not be able to tell what actually happened.
“What I have about that issue is still skeletal and you know me that I don’t speak on an issue which I don’t have enough knowledge about,” he said.