By Emmanuel Enebeli
Obiaruku: The death of a Young man in Obiaruku, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State, had raised tension, anger and destruction of properties in the town, as police and other independent witness continue to insist that the gathered crowed in part of Umusume quarter of the town on Sunday, 9 of April, 2017, was that of a cult group who gathered to mourn one of their own who was earlier buried on 24 March, of this year.
The sources said the disturbance that arose from the gathering was not of rival cult groups, but reaction to the interference of the police who answered a distress call from the members of the community, who noticed that the activities of the crowed was becoming tensed, as guns were been freely used.
Reacting to the incident, our source who refused to be named, said that the police were called in because of the situation, but on the arrival of the police, the crowed reacted violently by throwing different objects, like stones and other sharp objects at them.
However, according to the source the police reacted by throwing tear gas canisters at the surging crowed to disperse them, but things turned more rough after the police had done their job and left the scene, without any assumed incident when a youth was rushed to the near by Catholic Hospital inside the Christ the King Catholic Church, Obiaruku, but was later confirmed dead by the Medical Doctor on duty.
The Youths Turns Violent
Eye witnesses interviewed said that the crowed went wide when it was confirmed that the boy was dead, while the hospital management tried to control the crowed they threatened to pull down the gate and doors of the hospital if the body was not released to them, which the management had no option but to succumb to the crowd seeing that if not properly managed the worst will happen.
The body was released; they rolled it away with the hospital stretcher for about 4km to the Police Station at Umuebu road, chanting war songs, and carrying dangerous weapons with a promise to burn down the station as a revenge for killing one of their own.
Scene at the Police Station
At the police station, information had reached the police on the new development, and they were battle ready to deal with the crowd if the information they received is confirmed. Our source said that as the crowed approached the station shouting war songs and threating to burn down the station as a revenge, the police tried to calm the angry youths, by this time crowd was getting more and more large and was becoming uncontrollable, thus, the police had to use force to disperse them.
Eye witnesses said that it was after the police dispersed the crowed they rescued the corpse and deposited it at the General Hospital in Obiaruku.
Attack on the Vigilante Group Leader in Obiaruku
As if to ensure that they melt their anger on someone or an institution, they regrouped, and mobilised later and stormed the home of the Vigilante Leader in Obiaruku, they met him taking his evening meal, attacked him and destroyed some of his properties, from there they moved to the home of one of the Anti-Cult members in the town and also carried out their vengeance on his properties.
The Police Reacts
Reacting to the incident and the accusation that the actions of the police in the process of dispersing the crowd resulted in the death of the young man, the Police Divisional Officer at the Obiaruku Police station, while referring Ndokwa Reporters to the Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, said that the gathering was that of cult members, who their presence in the area was already causing tension, and as a responsible security service, the men and officers of the police in the area have to move in to maintain peace.
The PPRO, agreed with the DPO, and said that the crowd was that of cult members who had been told to stop their activities.
Mr Aniamaka said that from initial information received the police tried to disperse the crowd peacefully, but were attacked with different kind of missiles.
“The Police cannot use tear gas canister in a peaceful gathering, if they are saying that tear gas was used, then it confirms the crowed was unruly, and again, they were cult members who were wearing neck Scarfs”. He said.
He stressed that the death of the young man was unfortunate, but from the operation, he did not die from police activity, as his body is not showing any sign of physical attack or wounds.
According to the Police, the body of the deceased had since been deposited at the General Hospital Mortuary for autopsy to determine the cause of death, while the case had been referred to the Homicide Unit for further investigation.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that some arrests had been made, and some of those find involved are been interrogated to know their level of insolvent.
The family of the deceased we were informed, at the end of a meeting between the DPO and the family requested the body to be released to them for burial, but as the PPRO said the true cause of death have to be established.
