Riot in Rivers as ‘policeman kills’ tricycle rider over ‘N100 bribe’

Riot broke out at Rukpokwu area of Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, on Thursday, following the alleged killing of a commercial tricycle rider by a police officer.

The victim was allegedly shot dead for refusing to give N100 bribe to the policeman.

The incident was said to have happened around 7am at Airport Road.

Consequently, colleagues of the deceased and some angry youths reportedly took over the road to protest the killing, causing a gridlock.

The angry protesters reportedly demanded the release of the suspect to them, but security operatives were dispatched to the scene of the incident to quell the protest.

Confirming the incident, Nnamdi Omoni, the police public relations officer in Rivers, said the suspect has been arrested and detained.

He called for calm, saying the suspect would be brought to justice.

“I am aware of the incident at Rukpokwu. One of our men killed a keke rider this morning. The policeman has been disarmed and he is detained now,” he said.

“We have mobilised our men in the area to restore calm and contain a further breakdown of law and order.

“We are pleading for calm to allow us to bring him to justice. Two wrongs can never make a wrong. The keke driver has died and the man who killed him must receive his punishment.

“Killing a policeman or burning down a station cannot bring him back to life or give him justice; instead, it will deteriorate the situation.”

The incident comes almost two months after the #EndSARS protests that rocked the country.

The protest was against police brutality and human rights abuses.

The demonstrations later degenerated into chaos in different parts of the country.

In Rivers, the police had alleged that three officers were killed during the violence that broke out in the state, while three police stations and several vehicles were burnt during the crisis.

Wike had condemned the killing, saying the state will not tolerate the killing of security officers.