Cross River youths have protested the alleged killing of their colleague, Archibong Effiong-Archibong in Bakassi Local Government Area of the state.
The youths who stormed Calabar, the state capital on Friday accused a personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Speaking to Channels Television, an eye witness said the incident happened at Ekprikang community in Bakassi while some people were trying to struggle over a gallon of fuel.
According to him, the NSCDC officials demanded money from the youths in other to allow them to operate their fuel business in the area but the youths refused.
“The NSCDC personnel demanded money from us to allow us operate on our fuel business and we said we don’t have.
“When we said we don’t have money to give them, they now opened fire on us and in the process, one of our colleague who is also an electrician was shot dead,” he said.
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One of the protesters and a Youth Leader of Bakassi, Mr Eyo Asuquo-Etim, said they want the state and Federal Government to take care of the family of the deceased who left behind four children.
Reacting to the allegation, the State Commandant of NSCDC, Mr Danjuma Elisha, said the youths were trying to smuggle fuel to Cameroon through the Bakassi border post when the incident happened.
Elisha noted that he had to dispatch a team of NSCDC personnel to stop them in order not enter Cameroon and in the process be infected with COVID-19.
“We had a tip off that they the youths were taking fuel to Cameroon and we had to move in to stop them.
“We parked the gallons of fuel into our vehicle and the youths were resisting because they said we have come to distract their source of income.
“In the process, they starting calling out their boys in their numbers to come out. I’m not sure if the person that was reported dead was shot by our men because all the personnel that were there said they never shot a single bullet,” he said.
The NSCDC boss also accused the youths of burning down the operational vehicle of the corps as well as the office command in Bakassi.
He however noted that investigation has commenced into the incident, stressing that the riffles and ammunition of his men were intact upon check.
