By Wisdom Nwedene, Abakaliki
Students of Ebonyi State University are set to protest against brutality in Abakaliki, the state capital.
9News Nigeria correspondent gathered that there is brewing anger against the Police in the State following the death of Ayogu Evans who allegedly died following HOT chase by police officers attached to Ebonyi State Police Command.
In a short statement made available to 9News Nigeria by the EBSU SUG President, Tobias Oshim Nkwegu said “Next 72hrs may get so tensed if no substantial action has been taken on the 3 identified police officers that chased EBSU 23-yr-old student to death”.
Our correspondent gathered there are plans for heavy protest in the state if the officers involved in the case are not identified.
However, the Ebonyi State Police Command on Monday narrated the circumstances surrounding the death of a 300-level student of Ebonyi State University, Ayogu Evans who died while being chased by police officers on Saturday, December 2.
According to the spokesperson for the state police command, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, in a press statement made available to our correspondent on Monday, the EBSU student sped off while being stopped for a “stop and search” at a checkpoint around Nkaliki Road in Abakaliki, the state capital.
The student of the Department of Sociology was allegedly chased by the policemen when he had the accident and was rushed to the hospital by passersby but was confirmed dead a few hours later.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “The people who brought him to the hospital confirmed that he was being chased by the police when he suddenly had an accident and that the police officers that were chasing him ran away after he had the accident.
“They later came back to move his wrecked car to their station at Liberation Estate.”
But the police spokesman said the police officers who were after him did not run away and that the victim had been rushed to the hospital by good citizens before their men got there and they only towed his vehicle to the division’s station.
The statement read, “On December 2, 2023, around 12noon, police operatives on stop-and-search around Nkaliki Road sighted a vehicle that was approaching their checkpoint but suddenly reversed and sped off.
“The action of the driver (Evans) raised the suspicion of the police operatives which made them pursue the vehicle. The driver did not stop till he was involved in an accident along Oriuzor Road.
“Traffic officers were alerted and with the effort of good citizens, the victim, Ayogu Evans, a student of Ebonyi State University was conveyed to the hospital where he unfortunately gave up the ghost.
“The Commissioner of Police, Ebonyi State Command, CP Augustina Ogbodo, immediately addressed the student leaders and assured them that their concerns would be thoroughly investigated and anyone found culpable will be sanctioned accordingly.
“The commissioner of police is using this medium to encourage the citizens to support the police while they carry out their mandate and to report any unprofessional conduct of police officers on duty to the police authority while assuring the public that disciplinary actions will be taken against any erring police officer.”
