20-year-old Nyebuchi Ihunwo met his death on Thursday when one Inspector Chinedu stabbed his stomach.
The incident, which happened Atali community under Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, three the state into chaos.
Herald Nigeria gathered that the victim was stabbed while trying to purchase roasted plantain and fish by the roadside in the late hours of Thursday.
Speaking on the incident, the Eze Risiohia of Atali, Theophilus Ejekwu, explained that the victim had insisted that he should tell him the offence he committed to warrant his being arrested, adding that it was during the argument that one of the policemen stabbed him with a knife.
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It was also learnt that the police shot at three of the protesting youths after the gruesome murder.
But the Rivers State Police Command dismissed the claim that the police killed Ihunwo, adding that the officer stabbed him in self-defence
Speaking o the incident, the State Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel, said “The matter that gave rise to this incident is that men of the IGP Monitoring Unit investigating a case of kidnapping, with the aid of technical intelligence, tracked the identified suspects to Atali Community.
“On arrival, the team identified their targets and immediately arrested them. While they were taking them to Elimgbu Police Station, the suspects raised the alarm and started chanting cult slogans, which attracted members of their gang and youths of the community, who immediately swooped on the police, attacked, overpowered and rescued the two suspects who were in handcuffs.
“In the scuffle that ensued, a police sergeant was seriously assaulted and injuries inflicted on him which led to the rescue of the arrested suspects.
“Seeing that they have been overpowered, the police beat a fast retreat and went for re-enforcement.
“Consequently, when the rampaging cultists/youths sighted the police re-enforcement, they mobilised again in their numbers and one of them with a knife attacked ASP Chukwuma Onuora and as he was to stab him, he defended himself and while they were struggling with the knife. The boy had a cut on his stomach. The same youths took him to the hospital where he later died,” Belel said.
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