.. Body of deceased deposited in mortuary in Port Harcourt

… Chairman of Civil Rights Council, Comrade Prince Wiro calls for calm.

Okafor Ofiebor/Port-Harcourt

It was mayhem and pandemonium in Woji Estate, in Woji axis, a suburb of Port Harcourt in Obio-Akpor local government area of Rivers state on Wednesday morning as suspected hoodlums hijacked a protest by some operators of commercial tricycle, popularly known as ‘Keke riders’ against the Police over alleged killing of one their colleagues identified as  PraiseGod John.

Our correspondent learnt that trouble began when news filtered in that John had died in the custody of Woji Estate Police Station where he has been in detention since last Friday.

It was gathered that as soon as information got to the deceased’s colleagues, they gathered and stormed  Woji Estate in protest.

Some hoodlums in the vicinity who joined them allegedly looted valuables from buildings situated inside the Estate where Police officers working at the station are living.

It was gathered that the deceased was arrested late last Friday’s night by policemen who also seized  his tricycle, allegedly for working too late into the night.

A cousin to the deceased, Mr. Godbless Monday, told this magazine that he received a call on Tuesday evening that John had died in the Police station, but was not told what led to his death.

He said his cousin had told him that he was arrested for operating late in the night of Friday April 10 and he successfully secured his bail, the next day, which was Saturday.

He however said to be able to take his tricycle with him, the Police called their official vulcanizer to pump the tyres that were deflated by them when he was arrested.

However,  according to him, trouble started when “the official Police Vulcanizer” demanded for an amount the deceased considered exorbitant  after pumping the tyres.

He added that the deceased refused to pay as he insisted on paying the amount other vulcanizers are charging for the service.

This, according to Monday, led to verbal argument that snowballed  into a physical fight between the Vulcanizer and the deceased within the Police premises.

This led to the re-arrest and detention of PraiseGod by the Police who accused him of fighting inside their premises.

John was in police detention until the  news of his death was received by his fellow Keke drivers on Wednesday morning, according to Monday.

As at the time of filing in this report, our correspondent learnt that Mr Gift John, the elder brother to the deceased had conveyed the Corpse of the late Keke driver to  a mortuary in Port Harcourt.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of the Rivers State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni,  confirmed the incident,  but said could not give details. He, however, appealed for calm.

He said the Police have ordered for a full investigation into what led to the death of the Keke driver.

Meanwhile, the Civil Rights Council in Rivers, through its Chairman, Prince Wiro, has called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of John.

Prince Wiro, who spoke to our Correspondent on phone, said he has waded into the matter, while urging the Keke drivers not to take laws into their hands.