A trigger happy personnel of the Nigerian Civil Defence and Security Corps yesterday allegedly shot and killed a 100 level student of the State own Niger Delta University, Ammassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The deceased identified as Obinna, is a level one student from the faculty of Engineering, Petrochemical Department in the Niger Delta University.
An eyewitness who was at the scene of the incident, said at about 10.30pm on Saturday, an NSCDC personnel battling to free his riffle without pointing it upward accidentally killed the student identified as Obinna (M), in the Efeke Ama area of the university community.
Victim’s corpse was rushed to Tantua hospital, by residents of the area, while the killer security personnel who appeared to be intoxicated by alcohol was seen been taken into custody by the Divisional Police Officer of Amassoma.
The killer security personnel was also identified as being on official escort of a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the area, Chief Abel Ebifemowei.
Speaking on a telephone with DAILY POST, Chief Abel Ebifemowei, who described the incident as unfortunate and sad, confirmed the development but denied being at a drinking bar nor using the Senator Heineken Lokpobiri campaign vehicle at the time of the incident.
Ebifemowei said, ‘It is a lie that I was at the Usual Bar when the incident happened and I was not with the official vehicle of Senator Lokpobiri. It is an act of mischief to include Senator Lokpobiri in the incident. The Civil Defence personnel with me was trying to free his gun when it went off. The accident was not about me or the Senator Lokpobiri campaign organisation.’
‘It is unfortunate that he did not face it up. The affected personnel was not drunk as claimed. it was just an accidental discharge which every security personnel pray not to happen to him. I was not at a bar. I was in Amassoma to observe the Local Government election ahead of the coming governorship poll.”
He also confirmed that the corpse of the deceased has been taken to Yenagoa by the Police and the killer NSCDC personnel is now in custody.
“The security escorts have followed me for over 10 years and we have never experienced such an incident. it is unfortunate,” he said
