Nigeria: Two Killed, Policeman Injured As Youths Protest Power Outage in Oturkpo

At least two persons were killed and one police officer injured Tuesday in Otukpo, Benue State during a violent protest by youths of the town against one week of power outage occasioned by a technical fault at the zonal office of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN in the town.

Eye witness account told Vanguard that the protesters, mostly youths numbering about 300, had mobilized themselves early in the morning at the Sabon-gari area of the town from where they kicked off the protests.

It was further gathered that from there, they began the march towards the zonal office of the PHCN located on federal road ostensibly to take on authorities of the company. Our source further informed that on their way, they sighted a PHCN operational vehicle which they stopped and ordered the staff on duty to take to their heels before setting it ablaze.

Not satisfied, they were said to have continued with the march to the office of the company but were confronted by a combined team of regular and anti-riot policemen from the Police Area Command who had been quickly deployed there by the Area Commander in consultation with the Divisional Police Officer DPO for the local government area.

Lagos Vanguard