“21-Year-Old Student Shot by Policeman Seeking Bribe in Abuja, Hospitalized”

Babatunji Wusu –

A 21-year-old second-year Computer Science student, Ikechukwu Godwin, was reportedly shot by Nigerian police at a checkpoint in Abuja on Saturday evening. The incident occurred around 7:00 pm at FO1, a residential area in Kubwa, according to SaharaReporters.

The victim’s father shared details of the event, stating that Ikechukwu, who had been visiting friends in a community called Sokale, was returning home when he was stopped by more than five policemen after he got off a commercial tricycle (Keke Napep). The police accused him of being an internet fraudster, a claim Ikechukwu denied. After searching his phone and finding nothing incriminating, the officers allegedly handcuffed him and demanded a bribe of ₦200,000. When Ikechukwu explained that he couldn’t afford such an amount, the police allowed him to make phone calls.

However, while he was making calls, one of the officers reportedly grew impatient and shot Ikechukwu in the leg. The victim fell into a nearby gutter, and the police officers fled the scene. Several motorcyclists (Okada riders) reportedly came to his aid and helped transport him home.

Ikechukwu’s father mentioned that the young man was later taken to a hospital, where doctors confirmed that two bones in his leg had been broken. Some police officers are reportedly at the hospital, investigating the incident.