A 29-year-old birthday celebrant has been reportedly shot dead by police operatives at Obinomba community, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State.

It was learnt that the police officers attached to the Obiaruku division had stormed the venue of the birthday celebration which took place on Friday in search of members of a cult group when the celebrant identified as Gift met with his untimely death.

The cult group, sources said, had shot an unidentified youth in Obiaruku. “The police were in search of the cultists when they ran into some youths who were marking Gift’s birthday in Obinomba community,” a source said.

The source noted: “the young boy was doing his birthday in a bar. It was like police came to raid everybody at the bar where he is doing his birthday.

“The boy came out to tell the police that he celebrating his birthday and that they were not fighting. The police ran back and cracked his gun, as he cracked his gun trying to harass the boy, the boy wanted to run away, he now shot at him.

“As he shot at him on his leg, the police carried the boy in their van and left. They took the boy to the police station before they carried him to the hospital, the boy now gave up.

“So, the community got angry and blocked the federal roads in the Obinomba community. They are agitating that the policeman that shot him must be brought to book.”

Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Mr Edafe Bright, had got information that someone was shot in Obinomba and had gone to recover him when they ran into some youths numbering over 50 gathered in front of a bar.

He said: “The police team asked them what the gathering was for. In the exchange of words, some of the youths rushed an inspector and tried to dispossess him of his gun and one of the personnel at the back now shot. The bullet hit one of them on the leg and others ran away.

“The policemen carried him in their van and rushed him to the hospital for treatment. It was at the hospital that he died.” (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Saturday Vanguard)

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