What led to the killi-ng of young man by ‘Operation Crush’ – Abia govt. Clarifies | Read Details
It was a black Sunday as operatives of a combined security task force codenamed ‘Operation Crush’ shot dead, a young man in Umuahia, Abia state.
According to reports, the young man whose name is yet to be made known had a disagreement with another young man at Imo lane by Uzuakoli road. The latter allegedly invited operation crush to the scene. On sighting the security team, the victim was said to have fled but the security personnel fired a shot which caught him in the stomach and also hit a car.
The victim was reportedly abandoned in the pool of his blood by the security team, but was rushed to the federal medical centre by onlookers. He unfortunately died at the hospital.
However, the Abia state government has disputed the narrative, claiming that the team of Operation crush were at the scene after they got a tip on an alleged cult clash.
Speaking to journalists at the government House , Umuahia on Monday, the state Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, said;
“Just yesterday, here in Umuahia, there were security breaches involving some cult groups in the state.
“According to police reports, a resident around Imo Lane, off Uzuakoli Road, was macheted by a cult group. The incident attracted the attention of Operation Crush through a tip-off by a patriotic resident.
“When Operation Crush officers arrived the area, the cult members took to their heels. Unfortunately, one of the fleeing cult members was hit by a bullet supposedly shot into the air to scare the cultists.
“Operation Crush succeeded in arresting a member of a gang who is currently in the custody of the police and is helping the police with their investigations.”
The commissioner stated that one of the alleged cultists who was arrested by Operation Crush was found with a gun and is in police custody.
Kanu added that the narrative that the security team killed an innocent man was false.
“The sponsors of such reports mislead members of the public into believing that Operation Crush shot at an innocent bystander or citizen.
“Nothing could be further from the truth. We will keep the media informed about further developments in the matter.
“The fleeing cultist who was hit by a bullet has been deposited in the morgue. The police is continuing with investigations,” he added.
