FOOTBALLER SHOT DEAD IN NIGER DELTA
A
footballer identified as Izu Joseph has been shot dead in an unexplained
circumstance involving soldiers at Okakhi community, a town
bordering Bayelsa and Rivers states.
The
Nation gathered that the dead footballer plays his football with the Shooting Stars
Football Club of Ibadan, Oyo State before his untimely death.
While
some said that Joseph was gunned down by troops of Joint Task Force (JTF),
Operation Delta Safe (ODS), others said the incident occurred during a shootout
between other soldiers and hoodlums in the area.
The
deceased was said to be on a break following the end of 2015/2016 season
of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) when the incident occurred.
Three
billets reportedly punctured different parts of his body.
Joseph,
an indigene of Okhaki was said to have joined the Shooting Stars in 2014 from
Bayelsa United Football Club.
Some
sources from the community said the killing, which happened on Saturday evening,
sparked anger in the community, leaving everyone in confusion.
A
friend to the footballer, identified as Nyieye, confirmed that Okhaki is
notorious for harbouring bad boys who are not militants.
“They
smoke and drink in the area. As an established footballer from the community,
many of the youths usually swam around him and he reciprocated by buying them
drinks.
“We
gathered that some youths had the previous days angered some soldiers but they
came when Izu Joseph was hanging out with his people. He was shot three times.
Others died but we only heard about Izu,” he said.
Contacted
on the development, Acting Coordinator of ODS’ Joint Media Campaign Centre
(JMCC) Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Osuji, said the incident had nothing to do with ODS. READ MORE
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