Violence erupted in the Isihor area along the Benin-Lagos road in Edo State on Tuesday, following a protest by youths suspected to be involved in internet fraud, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Yahoo.”
The demonstration, which turned chaotic, left a police officer and a tricycle spare parts dealer, Mr Lucky Akoda, with gunshot injuries.
According to eyewitnesses, the protest was a reaction to a raid allegedly carried out by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security agents on Monday night.
The operation reportedly targeted the area for its reputation as a hotspot for cybercrime activity.
In response, youths believed to be affected or affiliated with those arrested took to the streets the following morning in protest, accusing the security forces of harassment and intimidation.
The protest degenerated into violence when some of the demonstrators attacked a police officer and vandalised a security van suspected to belong to a local vigilante group.
Amid the ensuing disorder, shots were fired, and Mr Akoda, a 40-year-old spare parts dealer whose shop is located near the protest site, was struck by a stray bullet as he attempted to close his shop and flee the violence.
The injured police officer and Mr Akoda were both rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for treatment.
However, controversy ensued when Mrs Benedicta Akoda, the victim’s wife, arrived at the hospital and found her husband handcuffed to his hospital bed by the police.
She expressed outrage and sorrow that her husband, an innocent businessman caught in the crossfire, was being treated as a suspect.
Speaking through a family source, she appealed to the police and the wider public to intervene and ensure justice, insisting that Mr Akoda had no connection to the protest or the criminal activities attributed to the demonstrators.
“The man was hit by a stray bullet while trying to escape the violence and is now being held as though he were a criminal,” the source said.
“His wife, Benedicta, has been pleading with the authorities to release him and allow him to recover. He is a legitimate trader, not a fraudster.”
The incident has drawn public concern over the conduct of security agencies during operations and the potential for innocent civilians to become collateral victims in efforts to clamp down on cybercrime.
Police authorities are yet to issued a statement on the handcuffing of Mr Akoda, but calls are mounting for his immediate release and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his injury and detention.
