A police officer from the Nsukka Urban Police Division has reportedly shot and killed a young man named Amuche on Echara Road in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The incident occurred on Sunday night, according to SaharaReporters.
Eyewitnesses reported that a group of plainclothes police officers were out for a night of relaxation when the incident took place.
The trouble began when one of the officers started dancing with a woman, suspected to be a sex worker, in front of a bar.
The woman accused the officer of groping her breasts while dancing, leading to an altercation that resulted in the officer shooting Amuche.
The identity of the officer involved has not been disclosed, as the police are reportedly trying to cover it up, according to SaharaReporters.
“She alerted the management of the chalet, and the manager had a heated argument with the policeman,” said an eyewitness who requested anonymity.
“In the process, one of them slapped the other. At that point, the manager went inside the chalet and mobilized some workers.
“The manager then slapped the policeman when he returned with the workers. At that moment, other policemen who were with the one dancing joined the fracas to rescue their colleague.
“One of them pulled an AK-47 rifle from their car and fired shots to disperse the crowd. A stray bullet hit Amuche, who was playing snooker at the chalet when the incident began.
“The victim was rushing to leave the venue when he was hit. The policemen also took the chalet manager away, claiming he had assaulted their colleague,” the witness said.
The incident sparked widespread protests as angry youths carried the corpse and marched to the Nsukka Police Division, where they were allegedly told to take the remains to the morgue.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to get a reaction from the police were unsuccessful, as the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, did not answer his calls at the time of reporting.