A yet-to-be-identified man has been shot to death by security agents at Ogidi community, in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
While some people in the community accused a vigilante of being responsible for shooting the victim to death, some other persons in the community alleged that an official of the Department of States Services pulled the trigger that killed the man.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim was at home preparing to visit his wife who just delivered a baby when a suspect, identified simply as China, who was being chased by security agents, ran into his house.
In a bid to apprehend the suspect, it was learnt that one of the officials reportedly opened fire and a stray bullet struck the victim down.
An eyewitness, who spoke anonymously to our correspondent for security reasons, said the incident, thereafter, generated a series of protests in the area as youths in the community took the corpse to the local government secretariat to express their grievances over the development.
The protesters also blocked the entrance to the secretariat with the corpse as they insisted on seeing the chairman but were barred from gaining entrance by soldiers.
A source said, “An innocent man was shot dead by officials of the DSS this morning. The security operatives were looking for a cultist who ran into the deceased’s compound. The man just woke up and they were about to pray, but he excused himself to urinate outside, and the next thing was a gunshot.
“We heard the security operatives were claiming they thought it was the man they were chasing that they shot. The dead man didn’t even know someone ran into his compound.
“He just came out to urinate but got hit by the bullet before returning to his family members for the morning prayers. He had also planned to visit his wife who just put to bed early in the morning. He had not even seen his newborn child. He is the only son of his parents.”
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said law and order had been restored in the area.
“The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations led operatives to the Ogidi community following a protest by the community members who alleged that a member of the security operatives shot one of the indigenes in the community.
“Meanwhile, law and order have been restored in the area and the suspect has been arrested with the arm recovered. Further details shall be communicated,” Ikenga said.
