The traditional ruler of Sasaro in Edo State, Azutorome Unuaikhazor, has denied media report that a police rifle seized by protesters over the death of a man was found in his palace after a search by the police.
The protest was staged over the death of an employee of a quarry company owned by a Lebanese. Policemen deployed to calm the situation were over powered and disarmed.
Unuaikhazor, who said he was traumatised by the report, visited the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Benin City, where he described the story as a misrepresentation of what transpired.
He said he “took the rifle for safety in order not to fall into wrong hands.”
He recounted that an employee of a quarry company fell into a pit and members of the community who saw him rushed him to the hospital in Igarra where he later died.
“They brought the corpse to the family where plan was been made for burial but later news came that it was the Lebanese people that caused his death. Some members related to the deceased and some youths demonstrated to the company,” he added.
“When I heard of it, I tried to intervene but I couldn’t control the angry youths. I was not happy about it. Even the car of the company that was parked in my palace was destroyed. Policemen came to rescue the situation at the site and in the process one Moses Afegbai was shot and he is receiving treatment at a hospital in Igarra.”
Unuaikhazor said he invited the divisional police officer (DPO) to his palace, apologised over what happened, and told him the gun was recovered so that it would not fall into wrong hands.
“I took the gun and gave it to him. As he was about leaving he said the commissioner of police (CP) asked him to come along with me. The CP saw me and I narrated what happened.”
He said he was surprised about the misinformation that there was a search and the gun was found in his bedroom, whereas the police did not search his house and no search warrant was issued.