From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Akwa Ibom State community in Rivers State, on Friday, defied the heavy rainfall to protest the death of a 23-year old Asher Christopher Dan, who died inside the premises of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), Moscow road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 in an unclear circumstance.
The protesters with different placards bearing: “We want explanation on Asher’s death”; “who killed Asher”, stormed at the gate of Rivers State Police Command Headquarters at Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, where members of the family and representatives of the group were invited for a meeting with top senior police officers.
It was gathered that after the group met with the ranking police officers, the protesters were told that the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID).
The protesters later matched to the NNPC headquarters, where they sealed the gates with native palm fronts and the picture of the deceased placed at the gates before leaving for the SCIID.
Saturday Sun correspondent, who monitored the protest, disclosed that no official of the company came out to address the protesters.
In an interview with journalists, King Albert, the event coordinator of Akwa/Ibom community in Rivers State, said, “regarding the subject matter, our boy, Asher Dan Christopher went to work on the 20th of this month (August), only for us to hear that the young man fell from upstairs and died. We got the information by 4pm.
“But the same people are telling us that they were not present there when the incident happened. We saw the clothes of this young man at the fourth floor, while they are telling us that he fell from the eighth floor.
“Now, these people in question up till now seized his corpse and have refused the family and the entire community of Akwa Ibom people to see it.
“So, we are calling on the Commissioner of Police, the Rivers State government, all respected individuals of this state to come into this matter because it is a matter of Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.”