Tony John, Port Harcourt
Youths under the platform of Ogoni Youths Federation (OYF) has demanded justice for their murdered brother, Gospel Gbaraka, who was allegedly shot dead by a trigger-happy policeman.
Gbaraka, who until his untimely death was a security guard working with Prodentia Guides Limited, was shot dead on Sunday by a marine policeman identified as Inspector James. The OYF, in its reaction, has urged the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Joseph Mukan, to order immediate investigation into the development.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, yesterday, President-General of OYF, Legborsi Yamaabana, said: “The Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF) worldwide today, Sunday, November 22, 2020, received a distressing and shocking news of the extra-judicial murder of one of its youths and shining lights, Mr. Gospel Gbaraka, at the hands of a gun-wielding member of the Nigeria Police Force, one Inspector James, serving at the Marine Base Police Station in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, now being detained at the Mile One Police Station.
“Gospel Gbaraka was on duty at his security post this morning. The said Inspector James is also a police security personnel attached to the company. There were no altercations, riot or crisis situation at the company involving groups of persons requiring the use of live bullets to disperse crowds, neither was there any existing problem between the deceased and Inspector James.
“As a youth body, we are incredibly pained that the life of this young man has been taken, particularly now that Nigeria is at a crossroad and the world has been awoken to the demands of #EndSARS protesters whose focal point is to end the recurring decimal of police brutality and extrajudicial killing.”
Meanwhile, father of the victim, Mr. Innocent Gbaraka, has cried for justice, threatening to commit suicide, if police authority fails to prosecute the suspected police officer.
State Commissioner of Police, Mukan, has confirmed the incident, saying that the officer has been detained and he is currently facing orderly room trial.
