There was pandemonium at Ogunu community in Warri South Council Area of Delta State as a soldier on Thursday allegedly shot dead a middle-aged man identified as Joseph Pessum.
The deceased was allegedly killed by the soldier while attempting to escape from his Toyota Camry car after breaching a security checkpoint.
This came two days into the lockdown order by the Delta government.
According to a source who spoke to BusinessDay under strict anonymity, the deceased had suspiciously driven through a police checkpoint at Ubeji community with his car, which had no plate number. This led to the policemen, who were not armed, to alert soldiers who were on patrol for enforcement.
According to the source, “When the deceased refused to stop, the soldier went after him and shot at one of the rear tyres. The young man continue to drive the car with a burst tyre until he got to Ogunu junction and blocked the road with his car, jumped out and started running.
“It was then the soldier assumed him to be a suspect and shot at him. Immediately, the incident happened, the soldier drove directly to the Area Command of the Nigeria Police to report himself,” he said.
According to the source also, angered by the incident, irate youth in the area, in a reprisal attack allegedly lynched two naval personnel and had their motorcycle burnt at the scene of the incident.
According to a source, the naval personnel were not from the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), DELTA.
“They were not armed and were going to their respective units when the hoodlums attacked them,” the source said.
