Man feared dead as mourners, policemen clash

By Damian Duruiheoma, Owerri

One of the mourners escorting back a corpse from the morgue for burial was on Friday feared dead following a clash opposing youths of Amakohia community in Owerri North council area of Imo State

A police guard attached to Amakohia branch of First Bank allegedly shot him when he and other youths of the community were escorting back a corpse from the morgue for burial.

But, the spokesman of the Imo State Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu said the man did not die but was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri for treatment.

It was reliably gathered that trouble started when some of the youths of Amakohia, who were part of the burial procession, allegedly blocked the entrance to the First bank situated along the Orlu Road.

The police officers, who were guarding the bank premises, reportedly ordered them to move away from the entrance of the bank.

But the youths insisted that they would remain at the bank’s entrance until the ambulance conveying the corpse passed.

One of the villagers told The Nation that when the youths insisted on not moving, one of the policemen attempted to use force to move them out of the bank’s entrance gate.

This development, it was further learnt, led to a fight between the youths and the policemen, who it was gathered shot at the mourners leading to the collapse of the victim on the ground.

The yet-to-be identified victim, according to an eyewitness, was rushed to the hospital even as “he was no longer breathing because he was shot on his abdomen”.

The situation led to panic in the area as banks and other business outlets along the road hurriedly closed shop.

Other teams of policemen were quickly drafted to quell the situation.

The spokesman of the Imo state Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu, who confirmed the incident said one of the youths, who was hit by a spray bullet is in stable condition.

According to him , “One of the youths was hit by a spray bullet fired by one of the officers at the bank who was trying to clear the youths who had attacked one of his colleagues at the bank who had ordered the youths who had blocked the entrance of the bank while escorting back a corpse for burial at Amakohia.

“The young man who is right now receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre Owerri and is in stable condition and not dead,” he stated.