Commercial motorcycle riders, (okadamen), yesterday, took to the streets of Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State, protesting the killing of their colleague, Chimaobi Nwaogu, by a soldier for allegedly refusing to part with N100 bribe at a military checkpoint.
Sources told Vanguard that the motorcycle riders, who paid a condolence visit to the slain member’s family at Umuokere-Ngwa community, Obingwa Local Government Area, Abia State, called on the military authorities to unravel the soldier behind the act to serve as a deterrent to others.
They further called on the military and the government to come to the aid of his family.
Eyewitnesses said the soldier had trailed the late Chimaobi as he rode past the checkpoint and shot him dead at his village, then fled.
An eyewitness told Vanguard: “We saw a soldier on a motorcycle pursuing Chimaobi. We were wondering what may have happened, then the soldier shot him and he fell off his motorcycle. The soldier then fled.
“It is painful that life has become so cheap that a soldier can just kill without cause. Now, Chimaobi’s wife is heavily pregnant and may soon put to bed. He left three children behind. Who is going to take care of them?”
The situation caused panic in the area as youths of the community set the military checkpoint on fire, even as the soldiers watched without fighting back.
The youths took the corpse to Opobo Junction, Ogbor Hill, Aba, where they also set fire to the Police checkpoint and a patrol van.