By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Youths of Adagbe Avomimi village, Enugwu-Ukwu in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, have taken to the roads to protest the killing of a youth on Wednesday night.

The deceased, an apprentice barber whose name could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report, was said to have been hit by a commercial tricycle driver while running away from police officers enforcing the lockdown curfew in the area.

The rampaging youths lamented that the deceased, the only son of his parents, did not break any law to be killed in such a manner.

According to one of the youths who simply identified himself as Ejiofor, said the deceased was walking home from work before 8pm when he encountered police officers on patrol.

His words: “He ran for fear of being arrested and a police officer known as Okeke pursued him. In the process, he ran into an oncoming tricycle; he was hit badly and he died. This is the only son of his parents. Why all this killing of innocent people? Why? That Okeke has to pay.”

He added: “The other time, a young man, an only son too was killed at Nkpor under this same circumstance, now this. Coronavirus is not killing us, it’s police that is doing the killing.”

On her part, a woman who sells provision along the road close to where the storm was building said that the boy was killed before 8pm.

The woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “It was not yet 8pm when the incident happened because I was still in my shop then.”

She pointed at a girl standing beside her, saying that the girl left her shop shortly before the incident happened.

It was gathered that Nimo community had some time ago sought for Okeke’s transfer, saying that he was a kind of terror in the area, but that didn’t happen.

Though some police officers tried to get the situation under control on Thursday morning by shooting into the air, the youths remained adamant, insisting on blocking the major road.

The youths went on to set off bonfires on the road, forcing commuters travelling to Abagana, Nkpor and Onitsha to find alternative routes.