The family of a 22-year-old University of Port Harcourt graduate, Anthony Obodo, has intensified its demand for justice following his alleged killing by policemen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The family’s demand came as friends and relatives of the deceased staged a fresh protest at the Ada George-Agip Junction on Tuesday, where Obodo was allegedly shot.
Obodo was reportedly driving in his private vehicle on Thursday, August 27, 2026, when policemen allegedly flagged him down for failing to stop.
The officers were said to have pursued the vehicle, during which one of them allegedly fired three shots.
One of the bullets reportedly hit Obodo inside the vehicle. He was rushed to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.
The Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, Blessing Agabe, identified the alleged shooter as Corporal Alfred Louis and said the officer and other policemen involved in the incident had been arrested.
According to the police, some youths attacked Louis following the shooting and seized his rifle before other officers arrived, rescued him and recovered the weapon.
Tuesday’s protesters carried placards demanding accountability and justice for the deceased.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Charles Chukwu called on the Rivers State Government, the police authorities, the Chief Judge of the state and civil society organisations to intervene.
Chukwu said the protesters were particularly concerned about the circumstances surrounding Obodo’s death and demanded that the officer accused of firing the fatal shots be publicly paraded.
He said such a step would help reassure the family and members of the public that the suspect was not being protected.
Addressing the protesters, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, appealed for calm and condemned the conduct of the policemen involved.
Adepoju assured the protesters that the police would not shield any officer found responsible for the killing, adding that the officers involved had been arrested and detained.
“The police will never cover anybody. Since that day, they have been arrested and handcuffed. I have been talking to the father. All those people have been detained.
“Somebody has been killed and we condemn it, and there has to be justice. People that did it would be shown as an example for others to stop,” the CP stated.
However, Obodo’s father, Princewill Obodo, alleged that the policemen involved had abandoned an assignment at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference before the incident occurred.
According to the grieving father, the Divisional Police Officer informed the family that the policemen had been deployed to provide security at the NBA conference held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt.
He alleged that the officers were expected to return to their regular duty post by 7pm but left the conference venue before the shooting incident.
“The DPO also told us that those police officers were deployed to the NBA conference at Elekahia and were supposed to report back by 7pm.
He said he was surprised to hear that they left their duty post to come here to carry out this mayhem,” the father alleged.
Obodo further maintained that his son was innocent, saying police authorities had also confirmed that the deceased was not involved in any wrongdoing.
“I want justice for my son because my son is innocent. The Police Area Commander has confirmed that my son is innocent. The DPO where these miscreants came from confirmed that my son is innocent.
“I want to call on Nigerians to ensure that my son gets justice,” he added.
The father, who struggled to contain his emotions, described the death of his son as devastating, saying the family had been left traumatised.
“I feel broken. I feel highly broken. My heart bleeds. I have not had peace since the demise of my son.
The entire family is in mourning. The entire family is heartbroken. The entire family is crying,” he said.