BAYELSA: YOUTHS TO PROTEST TOMORROW, OVER UNJUST POLICE KILLING

By: Bodmas P. kemepadei

YENAGOA: Baring any odds, Yenagoa may lock down tomorrow 26th, as youths of bayelsa state drawing from different platforms will be staging a massive protest against the Nigerian police force, for what they described as fashionable unprofessional conducts which has resulted to the near death of one Mr onyinmi Bekekeme and in very recent time the untimely death of the 17yr old. Mr Kokorifa innocent.

According to the group, which spoke through it's leader, Comrade Owoupele Jeremiah, a former spokesperson for the IYC, said leaders of the group drew inspiration from the fact that this death is completely unwanted and has made the family of the deceased to be in sorrows, same way as it has caused untold suffering and near bereavement on other families.

They further said that it fails to comprehend the position of the Nigerian police force, an agency of government whose primary responsibility is to provide security, protect lives and ensure peace in our society but has suddenly become an instrument of death.

The group lamented that it is even more tragic and painful, the pace at which the Bayelsa command force public relations officer issued a statement in respect to the late juvenile Mr Kokorifa innocent as being a criminal whose death was as a result of gun fire exchange with men of the Nigerian police force.

The group further said "perhaps most intriguing is the fact that when respected citizenry including legal minds, youth leaders and activist began to raise eye brows over this particular death the police in a meeting with the deceased family pleaded with them to excercise restrain and allow the police command to investigate the matter".

"This statement shows deliberate attempt to cover up the culprits of tulip dastardly act. Is it not standard police practice for the police to conclude investigations before issuing a statement to the public?" Owoupele questioned.

It's against this background of injustice that the leader of the House of justice, Comrade JP Owoupele, explained that members of the platform who comprised of different youth groups drawn from different ethnic nationalities residing in Yenegoa, has decided to make bold their statement and pressurise the Nigerian police force to investigate the untimely death of Mr Kokorifa innocent and bring the perpetrator to justice as his act and conduct was completely unprofessional and unethical .

The group also stated that It believes that the manner of Kokorifa's death was injustice done to the family, especially as it has eye witnesses accounts of what happened which is at variance with the statement issued by the command police relations officer.

The group therefore expects that the protest will further persuade the police to enforce internal professional discipline to caution and as well be very careful of the kind of characters it recruits into its fold, for the enforcement of its constitutional duty.

The protest is expected to hold on friday 26th of August, 2016.

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http://www.bodmasnews.com/2016/08/bayelsa-youths-to-protest-tomorrow-over.html