Agorehmi Bright, Reporting
ANGRY residents and youths brought the bustling Agip Road in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area to a standstill on Friday, setting up barricades and blocking traffic for hours in a furious protest over the police killing of a 22-year-old university graduate.
The victim, Anthony Obodo, a fresh graduate of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) awaiting his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) call-up, was allegedly shot dead by police officers on Thursday at the Agip/Ada-George junction.
Witnesses reported that the young man was chased by officers in a patrol van, pursued past his own father’s house, before being cornered. Eyewitness accounts suggest that after officers shot out the tyre of his vehicle, he lost control and collided with three others who are also feared dead. Despite the crash, officers allegedly approached the vehicle and shot the graduate at close range.
The protesters, who gathered outside the Agip Police Division, chanted that “a police uniform is not a license to kill innocent souls.” They have demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the officer identified as Fabian Banabari, an indigene of Ogoni, and all personnel involved in the shooting.
‘Extortion Over Safety’
Among the crowd, a protester identified as Joe launched a scathing attack on the Rivers State Police Command, accusing them of prioritising extortion over public safety.
“Nigeria Police Force, Rivers Command especially, what did Anthony Obodo do to you? Why did your men kill him? What was his offence? Is shooting drivers part of police work?” he asked.
He further decried the state of policing in the region, stating: “Rivers State Police are doing more harm than good. Road blocks everywhere, inconveniencing motorists. We experience long traffic in every part of Port Harcourt, not for any reason but because Nigeria Police Force are on the road forcefully taking money from drivers. If you refuse to pay, you would be made to pack by the side for hours, at the end, you lose your passengers.”
A Life Cut Short
A grieving relative, who also joined the protest, spoke of the family’s devastation, describing Anthony as a hardworking young man with a bright future.
“Yesterday, my innocent and hardworking 22-year-old brother, Mr. Anthony Obodo, was shot by Nigerian police in broad daylight. Anthony was a young man with dreams, a future, and a family who loved him. His crime was that he was simply on the road, driving a car,” the relative lamented.
The relative condemned the narrative that automatically brands young men driving cars as fraudsters or “Yahoo Boys.” “How did we reach a point where young Nigerians must fear for their lives simply because they are driving? Any young boy seen driving a car is tagged a fraudster or Yahoo Boy. A young man’s life is not worthless. A uniform is not a license to kill,” they added.
Calls for Justice
The protesters, alongside the victim’s father, Hon. Princewill Obodo, a former Secretary of Emohua LGA and the APC State Vice Chairman for Rivers East, have called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the Inspector General of Police, and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to ensure that all those involved are brought to book.
Hon. Obodo vehemently denied reports insinuating his son was involved in internet fraud, describing the claims as “very false, misleading, reckless and unprofessional.” He has urged the police authority to fish out the killers and ensure justice is served.
As of press time, the Rivers State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
