Hoodlums burn diesel tanker for killing youth in Delta

Angry hoodlums have set a petrol tanker on fire in Warri, Delta State for allegedly killing a youth, whose identity is still unknown.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night at the NPA expressway, near Effurun roundabout in Uvwie Local Government Area in the state.

The deceased was said to be about 13 years old and simply identified as Oghenevwegba.

The hoodlums took advantage of the killing to loot the Shoprite and other business centres located inside the Delta Shopping Mall.

It took the swift intervention of soldiers from the Nigerian Army, 3 Battalion to bring the situation under control.

As of Thursday morning when the news filtered into town, youths, who had earlier barricaded the NPA axis with a bonfire on Wednesday, took over the Warri-Sapele road, mounting roadblocks with planks and irons bars hindering vehicular movement.

As of the time of filing the report, tension is mounting up with the fear of possible attacks among the hoodlums.

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The deceased youth was said to be among hoodlums who have taken advantage of the ongoing #ENDSARS protest to extort money from motorists and commercial drivers including tanker drivers.

Eyewitnesses said in trying to forcefully collect money, the youth had climbed one of the tankers and had fallen and run over by another truck coming from behind leading to his death.

Seeing their colleague lying lifeless, colleagues of the deceased reportedly went after the diesel tanker and set it on fire.

It was gathered that the body of the deceased has been conveyed to a morgue, while efforts are on to meet with the bereaved family.

The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, couldn’t immediately confirm the incident when she was contacted.

Meanwhile, the Delta State government has imposed a 48-hour curfew commencing 6:00 p.m today.

One of the conveners of the protest, Comrade Israel Joe, said the protesters set the tanker ablaze in the expression of their anger over the death of the young boy.

Joe, who said the protest has been temporarily suspended to avert any crisis in the area, urged the people of Delta State particularly the youths to obey the 48 hours curfew imposed by Governor Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa to stem violence as street urchins have hijacked the #ENDSARS# protest.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

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