Soldier who shot Ekpoma protester identified – Police
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In a statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, said the military operative involved in the shooting had been identified and that “appropriate military authorities have been duly informed for necessary administrative and disciplinary action in line with established protocols.”
By Jethro Ibileke
The Edo State Police Command has confirmed that the soldier responsible for shooting a protester during the Ekpoma unrest has been identified, with the matter formally referred to military authorities for disciplinary action.
The victim, 32-year-old Osagie Abraham, was shot on Saturday during a large-scale protest in Ekpoma, headquarters of Esan West Local Government Area. The demonstration followed the killing of a kidnap victim by his abductors a day earlier.
Youths and students, angered by the incident, took to the streets of the university town and blocked the busy Benin–Auchi highway, disrupting vehicular movement and commercial activities.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, said the military operative involved in the shooting had been identified and that “appropriate military authorities have been duly informed for necessary administrative and disciplinary action in line with established protocols.”
Ikoedem also disclosed that several individuals who hijacked the protest to perpetrate violence, vandalise property and loot shops had been arrested, adding that investigations were ongoing to ensure all those responsible face justice.
“Regrettably, the protest was hijacked and all the rules of peaceful protest were ignored, leading to malicious damage, looting, vandalisation of shops, and a military personnel discharging firearms at a protester,” the statement said.
The police spokesperson explained that following the escalation, the Commissioner of Police, CP Monday Agbonika, fdc, personally led tactical reinforcements from the state headquarters in Benin to Ekpoma to regain control.
“Through coordinated deployments, strategic positioning of personnel and professional crowd-control measures, normalcy was swiftly restored across the affected areas,” Ikoedem added.
She further revealed that CP Agbonika had visited the injured protester, who is currently receiving treatment at the Eromoele Medical Centre in Ekpoma.
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