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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
A personnel of the Nigerian Civil Defence and Security Corps on Saturday allegedly shot and killed a 100 level student of the state owned Niger Delta University, Ammassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government area of Bayelsa State.
It was gathered that the NCDSC personnel, according to eyewitnesses, at about 10.30pm on Saturday was battling to free his rifle, without pointing it upward, when the gun went off and killed the student identified as Obinna (m), in the Efeke ama area of the university community.
The deceased Year One student has been identified as Obinna (m), of the faculty of Engineering, Petrochemical department.
The victim’s corpse was reportedly rushed to Tantua hospital, while the killer security personnel was been taken into custody by the Divisional Police Officer of Ammassoma.
Some persons, including a Bayelsa based blogger, however alleged that the killer personnel, in company of other police officers, was at a popular bar known as the Usual karaoke bar when his gun failed and led to the accidental discharge of three bullets into the victim.
The security officer was also identified as being on official escort duty to a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the area, Chief Abel Ebifemowei alias OSUO 1.
Speaking with our reporter on telephone, Chief Abel Ebifemowei alias OSUO 1, who described the incident as unfortunate and sad, confirmed the development but denied being at a drinking bar or 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 into 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 Ammassoma to observe the local government election ahead of the coming governorship poll,” he said.
He also confirmed that the corpse of the deceased had been taken to Yenagoa by the Police and the killer NSCDC personnel in custody, adding that “the security escorts have followed me for over 10 years and we have never experience such incident. It is unfortunate.”
