I am Samuel Fadeyi, the States Commandant of Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps, Akwa Ibom State Command. I am constrained to give this press release in order to acquaint the general public about the true story relating to the shooting incidence by one of my personnel that led to the death of one Onyekachi Wogu at Umukoro village, Obingwa LGA of Abia State on the 8th of September, 2020 at about 1730 hours.
1. Our Inspector, Robinson Otobong is attached to CGGC Global Projects Nigeria Limited (CGGC), the company rehabilitating Akwa Ibom link road to Aba, Abia State. He is on the private assignment for the road construction and it's workers together with three other personnel.
2. On the 8th of September, 2020, he was on a mobile protective assignment for two expatriates of CGGC in a Hilux vehicle in transit to Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State to Abia State. They were in Ikot Ekpene-Aba road by Obingwa LGA of Abia State and a border town to Akwa Ibom at about 1630hrs, when they got to a bad section of the road. A trailer had already broken down causing traffic. In a bid to access a good portion of the road, they saw a barricade and some persons with shovels, machetes and sticks.
3. Officer Robinson initially believed they were community youths, so he alighted from the Hilux to talk to them to clear the barricade. Initially they listened to him but when they saw he was escorting the "white" expatriates, they became violent, brandishing their weapons and seeking to disarm the officer in other to get to the expatriates for whatever reasons.
4. Sensing danger of harm to himself and abduction or harm of his principals, Officer Robinson retreated but they surged at him with their cutlasses and shovels so much that he had to fire a warning shots. The shots did not deter them as they rushed him with sticks, machetes and shovels, trying to disarm him.
5. It was in the ensuing struggle that a second shot was fired and the leader of the mob who grabbed the muzzle of the rifle was shot. At that time, the driver who had seen the hostility and heard the gunshots had maneuvered the Hilux to Officer Robinson to leave the scene with the foreign nationals. However, Officer Robinson took compassion the shot hoodlum later identified as Onyekachi Wogu, and in a bid to save him, he carried him into the Hilux and sped off in search of a hospital.
6. At one of the border checkpoints manned by military personnel, they explained to the soldiers what had happened, they were directed to a nearby hospital, accompanying them for safety;
7. Unfortunately, Mr. Onyekachi Wogu was pronounced dead on arrival;
8. Whilst these medical diagnostics was going on, the hoodlums had regrouped and stormed the hospital having learnt that Officer Robinson was still in the territory. Some military men had to rescue the expatriates while the few on ground could not save my officer from being brutally beaten and machetted. The expatriates' Hilux was burnt right there in the hospital premises;
9. It took further reinforcement of military and police to rescue Officer Robinson and until recently, he was in a very dire and critical condition, resulting from injuries he sustained. He is being treated as of now at the police clinic in Abia State.
10. It is in view of these happenings that i find it regrettable, that it would be reported without verification, that our Officer recklessly shot the deceased in front of his compound. I believe the notoriety of this area is well known to travelers on that road and their history of violence even on security personnel is not hidden;
11. Would you have preferred an international event where foreign nationals in our care are taken and our rifle lost to unknown hoodlums? It is high time we stop playing politics with people's lives and situation. Parents should take responsibility for their ward's behavior. Security agents that they attack have families too and blood runs in their veins. I call on well-meaning citizens of this area to call their youths to order so that development will come there. The expatriates who are to rehabilitate their road are the same people we were guarding when the incident happened.
12. Be that as it may, a life is lost which calls for sober reflection, we condole with the family of the departed and we are ready to come personally to condole with them when the tension eases.
Thank you for your time.
COMMANDANT SAMUEL A. FADEYI, Esq.
STATE COMMANDANT
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