Police Stray Bullet Kills Man, Youths Protest

Some youths on Wednesday evening, protested at the Benin-Asaba Expressway, by Iguomo Junction, as a stray bullet allegedly fired from a police gun hit and killed a resident in the area.

According to sources, the yet-to-be-identified victim was said to have been hit by the stray bullet in front of the house of a PoS operator where he had gone to send N4000 to his wife in his village.

A source who does not want his name in print noted that police operatives were in the area to arrest some hoodlums.

He said, “Some Benin boys had an issue with the police and policemen stormed the area to make some arrests. In the process, they fired their guns at the fleeing boys and the bullet hit the victim and he died on the spot.

“The victim was said to have just transferred the sum of N4000 to the wife. When he heard of the commotion outside, it was said that he decided to run for cover, only to be hit by the stray bullet.

“Being that the entire area is populated by non-indigenes, they came out in large numbers, blocked the road in protest. They even vandalised some police vehicles that passed the area this (Thursday) morning.”

Armed with sticks and machetes, the irate youths erected barricades and set bonfires on the highway and ensured that no one had access to either side of the road on Wednesday to protest the killing of one of them.

The blockade left commuters stranded, with passengers forced to disembark from buses arriving from both the Asaba and Benin City directions.

Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report, normalcy has returned to the area.

The Edo State Police Command spokesman, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident, adding that investigation is on to identify those involved in the operation.