Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
There was hightened tension in the Ada George road axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers state, on Thursday as soldiers ransacked Ada George Police station ,released suspects in detention and beat up policemen on duty in retaliation for the killing of their armed colleague.
Details of the incident that led to the killing of the soldier who was in mufti as at the time of his death were sketchy as at the time of this writing.
However, our correspondent gathered that at about 8 am on Thursday, the soldier dressed in mufti who was lodging in a hotel in Eleparawon junction came out of his hotel with his AK47 strapped on his shoulder to when he was shot dead by policemen.
It also gathered that the soldiers was taken to be an armed hoodlum. But within minutes, the sound of the gunshot aroused the attention of some other soldiers who were also lodging at the hotel who identified him as one of their own.
The Policemen who did the shooting however took off in the patrol vehicle and disappeared from the scene.
An eyewitness said in less than five minutes, scores of angry armed soldiers stormed the Ada George Police Station and allegedly beat up policemen on duty and released some of detained suspects.
While the fracas lasted, Ada George road was blocked by the Police causing panic and traffic girdlock for severals hours before the barricade was removed.
Nomalcy has since returned to the Ada George Area.
Before filing this report ,our correspondent put calls across to the Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, DSP, his cellphone ran out but there was no response.
Details later…
Ends