Naval Officer shots 2 Delta youths dead
An unidentified power-drunk officer of the Nigerian Navy attached to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company on Friday reportedly shot dead two youths from Urhobo and Itsekiri communities at the jetty of the Warri Refinery in Jalla, Warri South Council Area of Delta State.
It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 3pm on Friday, thereby creating panic among residents of the area.
Sources told our correspondent that the officer, who was deployed to the oil firm by the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta, killed the two youths over a matter which was already being resolved between the community youths from Ifie and Ekpan.
An eyewitness said an argument ensued when the youths from Ifie and Ekpan communities were negotiating job slots with an NPDC contractor who is handling a project at the company’s premises.
It was learnt that the officer left his duty post to the scene of the argument and shot into the air before shooting at the two youths, who died on the spot.
One of the victims was identified as Agbolu, an indigene of Ifie community, while the identity of the second victim could not be immediately ascertained.
The identity of the trigger-happy armed man could not also be immediately ascertained at the time of filing this report.
Effort by our correspondent to get details of the incident from the Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, was unsuccessful as his telephone line was unreachable.
However, the NNS Delta Based Information Officer, Sub-lieutenant Sarah Okiwelo, confirmed the incident, saying that the incident happened “out of self-defence.”
The state Police Commissioner, Zanna Ibrahim, confirmed the incident but said he had not been briefed with details.
He added that his men were already handling the issue.
It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 3pm on Friday, thereby creating panic among residents of the area.
Sources told our correspondent that the officer, who was deployed to the oil firm by the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta, killed the two youths over a matter which was already being resolved between the community youths from Ifie and Ekpan.
An eyewitness said an argument ensued when the youths from Ifie and Ekpan communities were negotiating job slots with an NPDC contractor who is handling a project at the company’s premises.
It was learnt that the officer left his duty post to the scene of the argument and shot into the air before shooting at the two youths, who died on the spot.
One of the victims was identified as Agbolu, an indigene of Ifie community, while the identity of the second victim could not be immediately ascertained.
The identity of the trigger-happy armed man could not also be immediately ascertained at the time of filing this report.
Effort by our correspondent to get details of the incident from the Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, was unsuccessful as his telephone line was unreachable.
However, the NNS Delta Based Information Officer, Sub-lieutenant Sarah Okiwelo, confirmed the incident, saying that the incident happened “out of self-defence.”
The state Police Commissioner, Zanna Ibrahim, confirmed the incident but said he had not been briefed with details.
He added that his men were already handling the issue.
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