Police operatives kill labourer, injure three in Ebonyi

The operatives are said to be members of the Crack Squad of the police command in Ebonyi State.

Operatives of the Crack Squad of the police command in Ebonyi State on Wednesday shot dead a yet-to-be-identified labourer and critically injured three others in the state.

The incident happened at Ugwuechara Junction in Abakaliki.

A source said trouble started when the Crack Squad flagged down a motorcycle rider, whom they accused of being a fraudster, and wanted to confiscate his motorcycle.

According to the source, the motorcycle rider introduced himself to the operatives as military personnel, but the Crack Squad began assaulting him.

The source said the operatives tried to force the man into their car, but he refused.

“As the policemen removed his cap and started hitting him with their guns and the bike man tried to resist them, possibly to snatch one of their guns, one of the team (members) opened fire, which killed one of the labour seekers, who usually gather at the junction to look for daily job.

“Three persons were wounded and were rushed to the hospital. The corpse and the motorcycle rider were later taken to the station by the Crack Squad,” the source said.

A young man – an apprentice at a barber shop – and a woman, a passer-by, are among the wounded.

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach the police spokesperson in Ebonyi, Joshua Ukandu, for comment as he did not respond to calls and a text message sent to his phone line.

Obinna Mbam, the special assistant on Internal Security to the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, confirmed the incident.

He said that normalcy has returned to the area and assured the perpetrators would be brought to justice.

Ebonyi residents have expressed worry over the increasing rate of police brutality, extortion, and indiscriminate arrests in the state.

The Crack Squad is one of the police teams formed after the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad was disbanded following the 2020 nationwide EndSars protest.