Anger as policeman kills hawker in Port Harcourt

Aggrieved residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, took to the streets on Saturday to protest the killing of a sachet water seller by a police corporal.

The boy was said to have been shot by the policeman for coming out to sell sachet water during the period of sanitation.

Nnamdi Omoni, spokesman of the state police command, confirmed the incident to TheCable but said its cause was yet to be ascertained.

Omoni said the incident happened on Saturday morning along Okporo road in the city.

“The lance corporal cocked his gun and suddenly it (the bullet) went off and hit the boy. They were about 200 meters away from each other,” he told TheCable on phone.

“The boy did not die on the spot, he died when they got to the hospital before help could come.”

Omoni also said the policeman in question had been disarmed and placed in detention.

“Investigation has also been ordered to unravel the circumstances that led to the killing,” he added.

When asked if it was not a case of intentional shooting as is being reported, he interjected that “it is part of what we hope to find out after investigation”.

“So we can’t really tell for now what led to the killing till after investigation.”

The protesters have asked the police to ensure that justice is done.