Passersby saved the life of a security guard
working at East Gate Hotel, Owerri, Imo State, Chizorom Anayo, when he was shot
by a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, on Tuesday.
Our correspondent learnt that the 43-year-old
guard, who hails from the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of the state, was
allegedly shot around 8.20pm by the NSCDC official attached to the state
Commissioner for Public Safety, Chidi Nwaturuocha.
According to Anayo, he was shot in the presence
of Nwaturuocha.
Narrating his ordeal to our correspondent on
Thursday in the police hospital at Amakohia, Anayo said that he had just
undergone a surgical operation on his shattered left leg.
The father of five was writhing in pains. He said
he had worked at the hotel for twelve years.
According to him, the security operative shot him
when a commercial tricycle rider was trying to seek refuge at the hotel while
the commissioner and his men were trying to arrest him.
According to him, the commissioner was trying to
enforce the ban on tricycles in Owerri metropolis by the state government with
the use security operatives.
He said the commissioner and his men had gone to
arrest offenders around Orji flyover, close to the hotel.
Anayo told Latest Reality Metro that in a bid
to escape, one of the tricycle riders ran into the hotel, but the commissioner
and his men came after the man and started beating him.
Anayo disclosed that when he insisted that
the tricycle rider should not be killed on the hotel premises, the NSCDC
officer slapped him and shot him in one of his legs.
He said that when the commissioner and his
security realised he was seriously hurt and bleeding heavily, they fled.
He said he was rushed to the hospital, where he
was immediately revived and operated on.
Anayo is calling for justice, lamenting
that he had no money for his hospital expenses.
Our correspondent reached out to Nwaturuocha to
get his comment on the case but he declined, saying that he had already addressed the press on the matter. But when told that our correspondent was
not aware, he said he could not repeat himself.
But other media colleagues told our correspondent
that they were not aware the commissioner addressed the press.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state,
Andrew Enwerem, who confirmed the incident, said that the police were looking
for the trigger-happy NSCDC officer.
Enwerem told our correspondent that the case was
reported at Orji police station.
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