Clashes broke out between some youths and policemen following the discovery of the body of a missing landlord, Nyebuchi Eke, in the Woji area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Nyebuchi Eke’s body was found in an uncompleted building in Chokocho, Etche, on Monday night, November 20, 2023 after his disappearance in police custody.
According to reports, Eke had been in the custody of the Officer in Charge of Surveillance since November 17.
An altercation with a tenant had led to the landlord allegedly throwing some of the tenant’s belongings outside, resulting in the police arresting him.
After the arrest, the landlord went missing, prompting the Woji Council of Chiefs to demand the police reveal his whereabouts.
During protests on Monday, stones and broken bottles were thrown at police officers by the enraged youths, who also set fire to the streets.
The officer and the tenant were subsequently taken into custody, but this did not quell the ongoing demonstrations.
The irate youths expressed their grievances by blocking roads and causing damage to shops in the area.
On Monday, with the presence of local chiefs and Eke’s family, the police discovered the landlord’s body in an unfinished building in Chokocho, Etche Local Government Area, far from the police division that arrested him.
The news incited further protests as the community expressed outrage at the condition of the body and clashed with the police.
Former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, Solomon Eke, the deceased’s elder brother, appealed for the police to move the body to an official morgue for proper preservation.
Solomon Eke also urged the protesting youths to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, emphasizing the need for a peaceful resolution.
State Police Command spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the tenant and three policemen linked to the case.