There was a protest at the Biogbolo area of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital on Saturday over the death of a 27-year-old man, Goodluck Oviekeme, who was arrested alongside eight others over alleged attack on a policeman and theft of his service rifle.
The police, in a statement, alleged that the deceased was arrested on Tuesday in connection with an alleged armed robbery incident that occurred at Biogbolo area when hoodlums attacked police patrol team, fatally injured Inspector Ugbotor Sunday and carted away his riffle.
Another senior police source told journalists that the deceased was arrested alongside the youth president of the troubled Biogbolo community, Benjamin Karibo, over their alleged involvement in the attack on policeman. And they are all in police custody.
He told our correspondent that the deceased was not tortured or shot by police as claimed by some of the protesters.
But the brother to the deceased, Ebitonye Micheal, denied the police allegations, insisting that his brother is innocent of the crime being leveled against him.
Ebitonye Michael, relative of the deceased, stated that men of the police special squad arrested Oviekeme on Wednesday over a crime he did not commit.
He alleged that Oviekeme was murdered in the police cell and his body was later dumped at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Yenagoa.
The protesters, who are made up of Epie-attisa indigenes resident in Biogbolo, staged a protest against the sudden death of Goodluck Ovikeme, accusing police of alleged shoddy investigation and deliberate killing of their kinsman.
Confirming the incident in a statement and signed by its spokesman, Asinim Butswat, the police stated that the state commissioner of police, Echeng E. Echeng has ordered for discreet Investigation and autopsy to determine the cause of death of Goodluck Oviekeme.
According to the police, “The deceased suspect was arrested in connection with the armed robbery incident that occurred on 21 September, 2021, at Biogbolo, Yenagoa, when hoodlums attacked police patrol team, fatally injured Inspector Ugbotor Sunday and carted away his riffle”.
“Preliminary Investigation reveals that Goodluck Oviekeme was the mastermind of the attack on the patrol team. He was arrested on 22 September, 2021 at about 0300 hours, while in police custody the suspect was observed to be running high temperature and was rushed to the hospital where he eventually died. The CP condoles with the family of the deceased and assures the general public that investigation has commenced and the outcome will be made public”.
