The mother of Onyekachi Ugiri, a 27-year-old man who was allegedly killed by the police during protests against the impeachment of the Rivers State governor, has demanded her son’s body.
Demonstrators had occupied the primary thoroughfares within Port Harcourt City Local Government Area in a show of support for the governor following the alleged impeachment, which culminated in the torching of the state assembly chamber on Sunday night.
Reports indicated that police officers opened fire on the protesters within the Old Government Reserved Area (Old-GRA) when a group of young individuals assaulted the residence of the State Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaechwule.
As a reminder, a group of young individuals had initially left the government house gate for the assembly premises due to reports of a meeting among the house members. These youths subsequently gathered at Amaechwule’s residence, where the police arrested 122 of them, including the State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ambassador Chijioke Ihunwo. It was subsequently discovered that the police fired upon four individuals before taking the other youths into custody, who were later brought before the court but were subsequently released on bail.
The mother of the deceased victim, Mrs. Callister Ugiri, who lives in the Borokiri area of Port Harcourt, disclosed that her son’s friend, who was present at the protest, informed her that the police were responsible for her son’s death.
Ugiri recounted that her son had left home on Tuesday to participate in the protest but didn’t return until she received news of his demise on Wednesday. She added that he had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.
According to the bereaved mother: “On Tuesday, I heard that Chiwedu, one of our neighbours came to the house to carry my son, Onyekachi, to go for protest in support of Governor Sim Fubara.”
“At night after I waited and did not see my son, I asked my daughter the whereabout of her brother and she told me that our neighbour, Chiwendu took her brother for protest in support of the Governor.”
“On Wednesday, Chiwendu came back again and told my daughter that during the protest, as police were shooting, bullet caught Onyekachi, my son on the head and ran into one building where he died. Chiwendu ran away while others were arrested.”
“This morning (Friday 3 November 2023) I saw a video of my son’s dead body with blood all over him. I am begging the Police to provide the corpse of my son wherever it is, I’m also calling on the Governor to come to my aid.”
However, at press time, Rivers State Police Command could not confirm the report.
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