An 18-year-old boy named Chinedu Abimbor was shot dead by police in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
The incident happened on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at a police checkpoint in the town; however, the deceased’s younger brother was reportedly arrested by the police.
Youths and the deceased’s family protested, demanding justice for the slain teen and calling for the culprit to be held accountable.
An eyewitness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, claimed that the victim, who was driving a Mercedes-Benz, refused to stop at a police checkpoint when flagged down by officers.
When the young guy refused to stop, he said, one of the operatives became enraged and opened fire on the car, killing the victim.
He also said that the deceased’s brother, who was in the car when it happened, was taken into prison by the police almost immediately after.
“This development prompted angry youths to take to the streets of Ekpoma on Thursday to demand justice for the slain 18-year-old,” he said.
The demonstrators called for the immediate release of the victim’s brother from detention and also visited the palace of HRH Anthony Ehizogie Abumere II, the traditional ruler of Ekpoma.
“We went to the police station to ask what could have led to the killing, but the police teargassed us and started shooting,” claimed a spokesperson of the protest, Lucky Adaba.
“The police have formed the habit of harassing young men driving cars in Ekpoma.”
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To find out what transpired, the Edo State Police Command has ordered a thorough inquiry into the event.
Chinedu Abimbor was killed in an incident involving a combined operation team of security officers and the occupants of an unregistered Mercedes-Benz, according to a statement released by Moses Yamu, the Command’s Public Relations Officer.
In her address to journalists on Friday, Yamu clarified that the three patrol teams involved in the event had been ordered to immediately cease operations by Betty Otimenyin, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Command.
He said the Commissioner commiserated with the family and friends of the deceased and “called for calm from the general public, with the assurance that justice will be served in the end.”
