A family in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria’s South-south, is accusing the police of killing their son.
The family said they were even angrier with the police for claiming the incident was caused by an “accidental discharge” from their rifle.
The victim, Emmanuel Dickson, 26, was allegedly shot and killed by a police officer in their family compound in Eket Local Government Area of the state on Sunday.
Nelly Dickson, a sister to the deceased, narrated what happened.
“Emma was coming back from the opening of a mourning house in the village on Sunday, where my parents were also. As he was about to enter our compound, a police vehicle arrived and they started shouting at him.
“So he ran to my aunt’s place, the policemen went after him and shot my brother.
“Now they are telling me it was an accidental discharge, that they did not know that the gun was not on security,” Ms Dickson told Newsmen.
The police, she said, left the scene immediately but later came back and carried her brother’s corpse.
She identified the officer who shot the brother as Anwana Jacob, a police sergeant, and asked the police authorities in Akwa Ibom State to make public the reason the brother was killed.
Her brother was not being investigated for any crime before he was shot dead, Ms Dickson said
A youth group in Eket, Ekid Youths Union, has petitioned the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Amiengheme Andrew, over the killing.
In the petition signed by its President, Ekemini David, the group said it would “use all means necessary” to get justice for the late Mr Dickson, if the police fail to do what is right in the case.
“We want the killer of that boy to be brought to justice. We demand that the family be allowed to see their son’s corpse,” the group said.
The case has been transferred from the divisional police station in Eket to the state police headquarters in Uyo.
When contacted, the police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom State, Odiko MacDon said he was unaware of the case.
Mr Dickson’s killing is happening a few months after a university student, Kubiat Akpan, was tortured to death in police custody in Akwa Ibom.