Young Edo State residents are demanding justice after Chinedu Abimbor, an 18-year-old from Ekpoma, was shot dead by the police on Wednesday.

Following the incident, the police command admitted its officers’ involvement and ordered the withdrawal of the three patrol teams implicated in the shooting.

FIJ learnt from Moses Joel Yamu, the police spokesperson in Edo, that the incident happened at 4:40 pm during a joint operation.

“It involved a security forces’ joint operation team and occupants of an unregistered Mercedes Benz which resulted in the death of one Chinedu Abimbor,” wrote Yamu.

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On Friday, Amnesty International condemned the killing and urged the Nigerian authorities to impartially and effectively investigate the incident. “The investigation must lead to justice, and the erring police officers must face prosecution in independent, impartial and public trials,” it said.

PROTEST, DEMAND FOR JUSTICE TRAIL CHINEDU ABIMBOR’S KILLING

In a video clip sighted by FIJ, the mother of the deceased teenager shares how she learnt about her son’s death.

“I was at home that night when I was told that the police had picked up two of my children. I went to the police station, where I saw one of them,” she said.

“I kept asking where my other son [Chinedu] was but nobody answered me. I went back to the station in the morning to ask for my other son. It was later that we heard that his body had been deposited at the mortuary. What was his offence? That child was my pillar.”

On Thursday, concerned Ekpoma youths staged a protest to demand justice for the deceased teenager. Some of them expressed concern over the frequent incidents of police brutality in the town.

The protesters took their demonstration to the police divisional headquarters in Ekpoma and the palace of the traditional ruler.

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Lucky Abada, one of the protesters, said he heard that the police attempted to stop the vehicle the deceased was in, but he did not comply.

“Then they opened fire and deposited his corpse at the mortuary. I went to the mortuary, snapped [the body]. They shot him with an AK-47. We came to the station to know what happened, but they were shooting tear gas. That’s how they [the police] disturb us here in Ekpoma, harassing everybody for no reason,” Abada disclosed.

Ambrose Aigbokhan, another protester, said, “What happened to our brother? That is why we are here. We are here to ask them what the problem is. Even the junior brother of the boy is in the station. They arrested him.”