A hunger protest in Ughelli, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, escalated into violence on Friday after police allegedly shot and injured a protester at the Otovwodo axis of the East-West Road.
The incident led to protesters burning tyres and pelting local government officials with sachet water. For the second consecutive day, protesters gathered at the Otovwodo junction, causing significant traffic delays on the East-West Road, stranding travelers between Benin and Port Harcourt for hours.
Following the alleged police shooting, the protesters, including market women, chased away the Chairman of Ughelli North LGA, Jaro Egbo, and his aides when his motorcade appeared at the scene. Egbo narrowly escaped being lynched by the angry crowd, who accused him of ordering his aides to disperse the protesters.
Efe Ekete, the press secretary to the Council Chairman, denied the allegation, stating that Egbo had come to appeal to the protesters not to attack the security agents.
A protester, who wished to remain anonymous, told journalists, “We were not carrying anything dangerous except for the placards when the police double-crossed us and started shooting tear gas. As they were driving away, they opened fire on the protesters, and one person was hit in the chest.”
The injured protester was rushed to a hospital by security agents.
Human rights activist Comrade Silver blamed the police from ‘A’ Division, Ughelli, and Ughelli Police Area Command for arresting and shooting at the protesters. Silver said, “I pleaded with the protesters not to disrupt the Otovwodo market because today is market day, and hoodlums could take advantage to loot goods. I saw police officers chasing a car, stopping the driver, and tear gassing the occupants. The market women and protesters resisted, and the police started shooting tear gas and live bullets.”
Silver continued, “I learned they shot a person. Though I did not see him, I was told that the Army rushed him to the hospital.”
When contacted, the leader of the military personnel deployed to Otovwodo junction, Bukar Dabo, said he did not witness anyone being shot by the police, as some claimed.
