Three killed, 20 trucks razed as soldiers attack protesting youths in Delta

A protest, yesterday, by youths of Otowodo community in Ughelli North Council of Delta State, against alleged raids by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has led to three deaths and over 20 trucks set ablaze by irate youths.

In coordinated protests, youths in Ughelli and Warri led protests against the EFCC operations in the area.

But the protest in Ughelli took a violent dimension when, according to an eyewitness, soldiers were invited to quell the protest. In the process of dispersing the angry protesters, soldiers reportedly shot three of the protesters dead.

The protesters responded by setting ablaze trucks loaded with different merchandise, parked along the road in the Otowodo area.

At the time of sending this report, bellows of smoke from burning trucks still fill the air. Calls put across to the Ughelli North Council Chairman, Godwin Adode, to react to the incident, were unanswered.

An eyewitness, who spoke with The Guardian yesterday, said: “Many youths gathered this morning at Otowodo junction to protest EFCC’s frequent harassment. They said the boys were Yahoo boys. As the protest was going on, soldiers arrived and started shooting to disperse the protesters.

“In the confusion, three of the protesters were killed, the youths then went haywire and began attacking and robbing people.

“They attacked drivers of trucks caught in the gridlock and set fire to their vehicles.”