Dismissed police officer dragged to court over engineer’s death

A policeman, whose identity is yet-to-be disclosed, has been dragged to court over the death of an engineer, Alafuro Peterside.

This is according to Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi.

It would be recalled that Peterside, a father of three, was shot dead by the embattled officer attached to the Police Mobile Force, 43 Squadron, in Gombe State on August 14, 2023, at a popular bar along Stadium Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

The deceased’s wife, Ebitari, who’s an administrator at the Federal University, Otueke in Bayelsa State, spoke on how the policeman shot her husband.

According to her, they both went to an eatery with their kids, and the engineer was shot dead in the aftermath of a robbery incident.

Her words: “My husband said he wanted to take us to his aunt’s place. His aunt, Jesse Ogolo, has an eatery called Bennie’s Restaurant and Lounge on Stadium Road (now called Ken Saro-Wiwa-Wiwa Road). We got there at about 6pm. Before we went into the restaurant, he said he wanted to show me something in a boutique in front of the eatery.

“At that time, a man was standing just outside and he told me that the man was one of her aunt’s security aides – a police officer attached to the lounge and that he was in charge of security. We ate together, had drinks and even took some pictures. When it was getting late at about 9pm and my daughter was sleeping, I told my husband that we had to go because the kids were getting tired.

“I, however, heard people shouting about the armed robbers, I just told the kids to quickly duck, and then when i looked outside the window, I saw a red car parked in front of the lounge. And then some people jumped into the car and drove off. So as that happened, I think people ran into the lounge to raise the alarm over what happened.

“A few minutes later, when the chaos died down, my husband came out of the lounge and came into the car. I told him he took too much time and he apologised. So, he started the car, reversed, and turned, but in front of us was a police officer with his gun pointing in my husband’s direction. So, he just shot him, and it (the bullet) went straight to his chest, and he (my husband) screamed. I also screamed.”

Providing an update on the incident, the police commissioner said the cop was arrested thereafter.

“The suspect who happens to be a police officer has been dismissed and the case charged to court. That is the development.” Nwonyi said while addressing journalists on the matter.

Prior to this update, the residents of the state had called on the police commissioner to name and show the photo of the dismissed police officer who committed the said offence.

The residents, who spoke on Nigeria Info FM, Port Harcourt, explained that by disclosing the identity of the cop, the police would ensure transparency and accountability on such issues would help build trust between the Police Force and the communities they serve.