The Ughelli North Council chairman, Barrister Jaro Egbo narrowly escaped being lynched by protesters and Otovwodo market women for allegedly asking his boys to dislodge the protesters.
As the nationwide protest entered its second day, what was thought to be a peaceful protest turned violent at Ughelli the administrative headquarters of Ughelli North local government area Delta State as protesters and market women at Otovwodo Ughelli chased the Ughelli North council boss, Hon. Jaro Omovudu Egbo, his entourage and policemen on duty.
The protesters in their hundreds converged at the popular Otovwodo junction Ughelli along East-West road causing deadlock to commuters plying the East-West Road leading from Benin to Port Harcourt and other parts of the eastern region of the country.
Speaking to newsmen at the scene of the protest, a Human Rights Activist, Efe Elvis blamed the men of Nigerian police from ‘A’ Division Ughelli and Ughelli Police Area Command for arresting and shooting at the protesters.
“I appealed to them to start their protest from Agbarha-motor junction to Afiesere junction, suddenly while still in the market area I saw police officers chasing a car and stopped the driver and teargas the occupant of the car and tried to take them to the police station but the market women and protesters resisted the arrest and police started shooting teargas and live bullets.
“I was told that one person was shot in the chest region and many were injured and one was taken to the police station but later released by the Divisional Police Officer, ‘A’ Division Ughelli”.
When contacted, Col. Bukar Dabo the leader of the Army deployed to Otovwodo junction said he did not see anyone shot by police as claimed by some persons that the victim of the police bullet would be rushed to the hospital.