A twenty-two year old boy, Precious Udoku has been hospitalized after he was allegedly shot and injured by Soldiers at Ekpen Community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The victim who has been receiving medical treatment at the Central Hospital in Warri has now been referred to the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara for further medical treatments.
There are fears that the victim may die if proper medical treatment is not administered on him.
This is coming as his mother who has no dime is planning to abandon him with his father at Ughelli Community.
It was learnt that the soldiers shot the victim at the leg while chasing some opposition Community members of Okere-Urhobo Community (Okumagba axis) from their homes.
It was gathered that crisis broke out following youth leadership tussle in the community.
A politician(name withheld) was alleged to have imposed one Eyikpimi on the people but the elders who were opposed to the moves by the politician kicked against the moves.
The said politician and some other persons in the community are being accused of conducting the election without the consent of the heads of family and elders in Okere-Urhobo Kingdom.
NewsNet learnt that politician’s candidate who emerged as Chairman was given soldiers by the politician with which he went about chasing persons he perceived as opposition to his emergence.
The soldiers allegedly chased some persons to Ekpen Community where they shot the victim who was a passerby at the time.
The victim in his hospital bed said he went to meet with his friends in the area to borrow him money as transportation fare to enable him travel.
“As people were running, soldiers got to where I was standing and shot my leg. I was carrying my travelling bag.”
The Coordinator of the Warri Civil Rights Council, Comrade Lucky Idiri, who corroborated the claims of the victim said, “He was not carrying any weapon or any arm. He is not from Okere-Urhobo. He does not reside there.”
Comrade Idiri condemned the dastard act by the soldiers saying, “Soldiers don’t have right to shoot am harmless citizen. If we allow such brutality to take place, they will kill people anyhow. That’s why we are here to defend the vulnerable.”
He also confirmed that the Central Hospital, Warri has referred the victim to the Delta State University Teaching Hospital for better medical treatment, adding that the mother is planning to abandon the boy with his father at Ughelli.
According to him, “So doing, the boy might die if care is not taken. We are calling on the international community to come to the aid of this young and help save his life. We are also calling on President Muhqmmadu Buhari and the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Tukur Buratai to fish out and prosecute he soldiers involved in this dastard act in the interest of Justice.”
