A young man was killed during a clash between youths, suspected to be ‘Yahoo boys’, and the police at Ozoro, headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, on Monday.
It was gathered that the youths had gone on rampage to protest against alleged extortion and brutality by the police in the area.
The victim, identified simply as Collins, 23, died after he was hit by a stray bullet from a gunshot allegedly fired by the police.
It was learnt that the police fired shots into the air in a bid to disperse the protesters.
Displaying placards bearing inscriptions such as ’Police stop extorting money from us’, ‘Police leave us alone’, the youths had marched along major streets and roads in the town, protesting their alleged travails at the hands of the police.
Sources in the area said the police usually harass and extort money from youths in the area based on suspicion that they are Internet fraudsters.
One of the sources said, “They came out to protest against the police continuous harassment of young boys suspected to be internet fraudsters.
“They are complaining about the police searching their phones on the way and asking them to pay some huge amount of money to bail themselves on the spot otherwise they will be taken to the station.
“Others complained of being invaded in their houses by the police without search warrant.
“The police later mobilized and in the process of trying to dispel the protesters, a gunshot from a stray bullet hit the lad and he died on the spot.”
The remains of the victim was deposited in a mortuary in the area.
Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Police Command, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said the police has commenced investigations to find out who fired the bullet that killed the young man.
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