COVID-19: Warri Boils As Soldiers Kill Unarmed Youth During Lockdown

Oil city of Warri, Delta State is currently boiling for a reprisal as soldiers deployed to enforce lock down by Delta State Government, reportedly killed an unarmed youth.

BIGPEN understands, the soldier man shot the youth, simply identified as Joseph Pessu dead after he failed to stop when he was flagged down by soldiers who mounted barricade at Ugbuwangue, Warri South Council Area.

The youth was driving a Toyota Camry car during the lock down hours when he ran into the blockage by the soldiers.

Eyewitness said that instead of stopping and identifying himself for a possible pass, the youth zoomed passed the soldiers in speed and detoured toward the Ogunu flyover axis.

Soldiers who mounted the barricade went into their van and gave the youth a hot chase and like a scene of blockbuster movies were firing shots at the fleecing defaulter.

The youth who managed to escaped the attempted arrest despite the fact that one of his vehicle tyre was shot and got flattened, was shot around Ogunu flyover after he jumped from the unmarked car.

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The deceased, who escaped from the soldiers’ arrest after the hot chase into a nearby bush, was reportedly shot by a trigger-happy army officer on the back and died instantly.

A military source, however said that the soldiers suspected the deceased was an armed robber going by the way he drove the car and refused to stop despite the chase.

The source disclosed that soldiers fired several warning shots to deter the deceased all through the Ekpan axis but he refused to stop, thus fueling the suspicious.

“When the deceased refused to stop, the soldier went after him and shot at one of the rear tyre.

“The young man continue to drive the car with a burst tyre until he got to Ogunu. He blocked the road with his car, jumped out and started running.

“It was then the soldier assumed him to be a suspect and shot at him.

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“Immediately, the incident happened, the soldier drove directly to the Area Command of the Nigeria Police to report himself.

“As we speak, the man is devastated, we cannot get information from him, this narrative was given to us by one of the police officer at the checkpoint,” the source concluded.

In a swift reaction, Harrison Jalla, President of Warri Boys Association, Lagos branch, in a statement obtained by BIGPEN, said, “Mr. Joseph Pessu according to reports was said to be driving through the NPA express way in Warri to pick his sick father to the hospital when men of the Nigerian Army were said to have flagged him to stop before his tyres were shot at by the security agents.

“Mr Joseph Pessu was however able to pull over at Ada Val Arenyenka Street, Ugbuwangue on the same express way, where he was allegedly shot at close range and subsequently died on the spot”, the statement reads.

Meanwhile, irked by the development, some youths from Ugbuwangue mobilized for a show down with security operatives but the situation has been brought under control by the Warri Police Area Commander who drafted men to the scene.

The trigger-happy army personnel has been detained.

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When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the incident but declined further comment, saying she was yet to be briefed with details of the incident.