Wrong Target: Tension As Angry Youths Storm Scene With Machetes After Police Gunned Down Man

Tension gripped the Igueomo community along the Benin-Agbor Road following the tragic death of a man allegedly killed by a stray bullet fired from a police gun.

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the victim, identified as a Hausa man, visited a POS operator to transfer N4000 to his wife in his village.

According to reports, police operatives, in pursuit of hoodlums, fired gunshots at the fleeing suspects, inadvertently hitting the victim who was seeking safety. He succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, stated, “Investigation is ongoing to identify those involved in the operation.”

In response to the tragedy, enraged youths from the community took to the streets, blocking the road in protest against the killing. They wielded sticks and machetes, preventing access to both sides of the road and vandalizing a police vehicle that attempted to pass.

The unrest caused significant disruption, with many passengers forced to disembark from buses and continue their journeys on foot.

A source recounted, “The irate youths who were armed with sticks and machetes, barricaded the road and ensured that no one had access to either side of the road.”

He added, “A police vehicle that attempted to pass the road was vandalized.”