T-Pain, American entertainer, on Friday arrived
Lagos, Nigeria, to host the Heineken ‘Live Your Music’ party.Anger and protest
have continued to trail the killing of a four-year-old boy, Godgift Odoki, by
the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Bayelsa State Police Command.Godgift was
shot dead on October 22 alongside one Anayo during a crossfire between the
police and a gang of cultists at Ekeki area of Yenagoa.One other person was
reportedly shot in the buttocks by the police during the shootout. However, the
hoodlums were said to have escaped unhurt.
The youths of Epie-Atissa Kingdom in Yenagoa Local
Government Area protested the killing and asked the police to fish out the
killer squad.The youths demanded justice for the kid and lamented rising
extra-judicial killing by the police in the state.The President of Oguan Youth
Congress (OYC), Mr. Ken Godswill, said the two police sergeants who were
indicted in the shooting of the little boy and other victims should be
prosecuted and punished accordingly.
He said: “We are demanding justice. All we are
saying is that justice should be done. SARS should be brought to book”.The
state House of Assembly said it was upset at the killing of Odoki and other
persons who lost their lives in the incident.Speaking through the Chief Whip,
Tonye Isenah and the House Committee Chairman on Security, Mr. Bernard Kenebai,
the legislature said it was also aware of some illegal police operations in the
state, especially arrest-for-bail.It said victims of such arrest were compelled
to spend money to free themselves.The House promised to address the incident
adequately and “take the matter up with the police”, describing the killing of
the little boy as a serious matter.Also, the state Government in a statement
signed by the Commissioner for Information. Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, called on
the Commissioner of Police to mandate his men to apply professionalism in their
operations.
Obuebite described the killing as senseless, barbaric
and too frequent and recalled the recent killing of a 17-year-old Kokorifa who
was buried last week.He said the way and manner defenseless citizens were
caught in the crossfire by police operatives showed the need for them to be
professional in their job.He said there was also an urgent need to investigate
the development.“The police boss should ensure a similar does not repeat
itself. We thank those who took part in the peaceful protest for conducting
themselves in a very orderly manner and for not disrupting the peace of the
state despite the vexed issue.” we commiserating with the bereaved family and
urged them to take solace in the fact the God knows all and assured them of the
government’s sincere commitment to ensure they get justice”, he said.
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