Wants killer arrested

By Akpokona Omafuaire

WARRI—THE Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI, has threatened to petition the Chief of Naval Staff over alleged extra-judicial killing of one Pius Bernard, a native of Tebujor community in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, should they fail to unmask the trigger-happy naval personnel.

According to IPDI, the deceased, said to be a sand scooper, met his untimely death while at work.

IPDI said he was killed at a jetty at Tebujor, Okpeleama community, unprovoked by a trigger happy naval rating.

Tension heightened as angry relations and sympathizers threatened to avenge Bernard’s killing if the government failed to fish out the naval personnel responsible.

Speaking with Vanguard, IPDI National President, Austin Ozobo, said there was no justification for the extra-judicial killing of Bernard, and that the Chief of Naval Staff should institute an inquest to get the perpetrators, who should be made to face the wrath of the law before indigenes resort to self-help.

He said that on no account should the Navy, which is suppose to protect innocent citizens and property in the country, resort to barbaric killings, warning that the act was a plot to provoke the kingdom in order to provide a ground for the military to bombard the kingdom again.

In his reaction, Moses Yabrade, Tebujor /Okpelama community chairman, told journalists that the late Bernard was scooping sand at the jetty when a naval officer, he identified as Kenneth, led other naval personnel to the area and shot at their son unprovoked, who in turn fell into the river and died.

The chairman explained; “The incident happened at 10p.m., Thursday night. Bernard was scooping sand and it is a normal commercial activity at such quiet time when fishermen also ply their trade.

“The victim was alerted by folks that his sand boat on a 40 horsepower engine at the Jetty was drifting.

“He then rushed back and was pulling it back ashore with another boat. That was the point Kenneth patrolled in with other colleagues in a gunboat. After shooting and killing him, he moved into the community bragging about the act and threatening to shoot another person if he did not get gratification.”