Four feared killed in Rivers, C’River

A UNIVERSITY of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) undergraduate was feared killed yesterday by an unknown police officer.

Similarly, a young man, in his 30s, reportedly died in an auto accident when the Lexus Sporting Utility Vehicle (SUV) he was driving in plunged into Imo River in Oyigbo Local Council of Rivers State.

Also, two persons were feared dead yesterday at New Netim community in Odukpani local Government Area, about 20 kilometres to Calabar as suspected cultists engaged in free for all fight.

Report said that a misunderstanding led to a brawl between two persons on Boxing Day when a young man refused to settle indebtedness incurred on excessive consumption of alcohol.

It was reported that one of the parties on yesterday resorted to self-help by contacting his cultist friends for a revenge mission.

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, John Ekuu, while confirming the crisis, said the Divisional Police Officer for Odukpani had deployed police personnel to the scene to maintain peace.

“I cannot speak on the casualty for now. But we are on top of the situation,’’ he said.

Though the death of the UNIPORT student could not be independently verified as at press time, The Guardian however learnt that the accident involving the ash-coloured SUV occurred on Sunday evening while the occupant was returning from a trip to Abia State.

Sources said, on approaching the bridge, the vehicle, which was on high velocity, lost control and somersaulted several times before finding its way into the river.

According to an eyewitness: “I was here when the incident happened. I learnt the man had travelled to Abia State to drop his family at his village for the Christmas holiday and was returning to Port Harcourt, when the incident happened.

“He was on a high speed and lost control of the vehicle on approaching Imo Bridge. The vehicle somersaulted two times before plunging into the River,” he said.

The witness added: “It was very unfortunate that there was not much we could do to rescue the man because this incident happened around 5.00pm on Sunday, when the divers at the river were on break. If the divers were on ground as of the time the incident took place, they would have rescued the man”.

Speaking further, the eye witness said the incident was reported at Oyigbo Police Station, adding that “help could not come the way of the victim until Monday morning when the police came with a crane to pull the vehicle out of the river with the lifeless body of the deceased hung on the driver’s seat.”

However, it was further learnt that his corpse had been deposited at undisclosed mortuary, while the vehicle was reportedly taken to the police station.