16-year-old Boy was Allegedly Shot Dead by Police Officer on Independence Day

A 16-year-old boy was allegedly killed by a police officer on Independence Day along Hospital Road in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Police patrol teams were reported to have been immediately withdrawn from the metropolis on Tuesday shortly after the
killing.

According to the Punch, the incident, which occurred at about 5pm on Monday threw the entire location in which it took place into panic. Also, eyewitnesses account has it that after shooting the boy, the policemen immediately fled the area; one of the eyewitnesses who identified herself simply as Charity said the killer policeman was seen running after the boy.

She said the policeman who was some miles away from the teenager opened fire on him but made a U-turn after discovering that he had died. She said sympathisers who later approachedthe body discovered that the boy was shot in the head. She also claimed that the victim’s girl friend was arrested by the police. Another source says, “Many of us witnessed it. We saw the boy running and we also saw a policeman chasing him with a gun.

Suddenly we heard gunshots, and saw the boy fell to the ground with blood gushing out of his head.”

Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr. Fidelis Odunna, has confirmed that the police took away the body of the victim, but said he had yet to know the circumstances that led to his death. According to him, “I can confirm the death of a youth because I was driving along the road when I saw the corpse of the boy lying on the road. I then called the Police Division in charge of the areato come and remove it… We cannot say that the boy was killed by the police because we are yet to establish the allegation.”