Father of a Port Harcourt singer Chibuike Ikeaguchi alias Sleek who was shot dead on September 19 by a policeman at Elelewo in Obi-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State has called for justice for his son.
Sleek, 20, and a friend Reuben were waiting outside a hotel for the driver of a car-hailing company when they suddenly sighted men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad advancing in their direction.
It was gathered that the duo ran in order not to be arrested and labeled as thieves. A policeman followed them and shot the singer in the back, leading to his death.
The incident sparked protest by angry youth in the area.
“I lived in the north up to 12 years I never lost a finger. I came back here only for somebody to waste my son,” Sleek’s father said in a video obtained by Qed.ng on Friday.
“There was no war. There was no fight, no riot, not that the boy was involved in any fracas, not that he was stealing. Just cold-bloodedly, they wasted this boy for me,” he added, calling on God to avenge his son’s death.
The deceased’s sister Maureen Ikeaguchi told BBC that Sleek’s friend had pleaded with the police officers to take the singer to the hospital, but they refused.
“Go to the mortuary, UPTH Mortuary that is where we kept your brother,” Maureen quoted the DPO of Elelenwo Police Station telling her when she asked to see her brother.
She said their mother has not stopped crying since the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, four policemen have been detained over the incident.
Rivers police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni said the officers had been moved to the state CID for further investigation.
“On the receipt of the report, the DPO, CSP Chima Nnaji, immediately ordered that the boy, who was bleeding, be taken to the hospital, but he eventually died and was deposited at the UPTH mortuary,” he said, without naming the officers.
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike condemned the killing, tweeting: “…We have and will continue to clamour for reformation or outright dissolution of SARS because they have become a menace to the society.”
