The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the death of a final-year student of Kwararafa University, Wukari, Taraba State, Ahenjir Emmanuella, who was allegedly killed by a stray bullet fired by a police officer during a stop-and-search operation in Makurdi.
According to reports, the tragic incident occurred around 11 a.m. on Friday near the Wurukum Roundabout in Makurdi, the state capital. Emmanuella was reportedly travelling with friends in a commercial vehicle when they were intercepted by police officers conducting a routine stop-and-search. Witnesses claimed that one of the officers suddenly opened fire on the vehicle, fatally striking the student.
Friends and family of the deceased have since accused the police of recklessness and demanded a thorough investigation. A close friend of the victim, Igbor Iorbo, told journalists that Emmanuella was on her way back to school when she was killed. She called for the immediate identification and prosecution of the officers involved.
“We are not asking for much, only justice,” Iorbo said. “Lives must not continue to be lost at the hands of those sworn to protect us. This must end now.”
In response to the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Catherine Anene, issued a statement on Friday night, confirming that the command had launched an investigation. She said that at about 4 a.m. on the same day, officers had been deployed to Duku Park, Wurukum, following a distress call.
Anene stated that a vehicle coming from the Benue Links area was flagged down, but instead of stopping, the driver reportedly turned around and drove through the opposite lane while allegedly shooting sporadically. The police responded with a gunshot and continued to trail the vehicle.
Later that morning, police received information that a young woman identified as Emmanuella Ahenjir had died at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital from a gunshot wound. Detectives visited the hospital, where the body was deposited in the morgue for an autopsy.
One of the vehicle’s occupants, Apase Keghter, was present at the hospital and was taken in for questioning. According to Keghter’s account, he and others, including Emmanuella, had gone to a club at Newcastle Event Centre and were returning when the vehicle passed a police checkpoint on the wrong side of the road. He denied that they shot at the officers but confirmed that they did not stop when flagged down.
The PPRO acknowledged that Keghter blamed the police for the shooting and confirmed that the Commissioner of Police, Emenari Ifeanyi, had ordered a full investigation into the incident. Anene assured the public, especially the family and friends of the deceased, that the command would ensure a transparent investigation and that justice would be served.
