Protesting youths clash with policemen over missing landlord

The landlord, identified as Nyebuchi Eke, was said to have thrown out the belongings of one of his tenants, who invited the police to arrest the former.

Eke reportedly went missing after being arrested following the disagreement he had with his tenant. 

It reportedly took the intervention of the Woji Council of Chiefs to draw the attention of the police to the situation and demanded the police officer reveal the whereabouts of Nyebuchi who was last seen in his police van.

The officer and the tenant were taken into custody afterwards, but it did not douse the protest as the youths went on the rampage demanding to know the whereabouts of the missing landlord.

It was gathered that the youth pelted stones and broken bottles at the police operatives, while they set fire on the streets to protest the death of Eke, whose body was recovered days after his disappearance in police custody.

Speaking on the situation, an elder brother to the deceased and former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, Solomon said his family wanted the police to take his brother’s body to a government-approved mortuary for proper preservation.

Solomon said, “The officer in charge of the investigation in the murder of my younger brother went on an assessment at the scene and then from there they recovered certain things.

“They carried the suspect to what they said is a mortuary in Igbo-Etche, Etche LGA and saw the body with bruises all over.

 “So, we are calling on the police to do the needful by taking the corpse to a government-recognised morgue for proper preservation and then continue the investigation.”

Confirming the incident, Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko said the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, had visited the deceased’s family and commiserated with them.

Iringe-Koko added that the suspect (tenant) and three policemen linked to the matter had been arrested and were under investigation.