An Abraka community resident, Omena Ibokpo, has alleged that soldiers shot him in the face during a peaceful protest against kidnappings and killings by suspected herdsmen in Ethiope-East Local Government Area of Delta State.

Speaking exclusively to BenriNews on Tuesday, Ibokpo, who was receiving medical treatment at the time of the report, described his injury as severe. "There's a big hole in my face as I speak with you," he said while in obvious pain.

How the Shooting Occurred

According to Ibokpo, he had initially left the protest venue for a motor park, intending to travel to Benin-City in Edo State for business activities. While at the park, he spotted some friends and stepped out to greet them.

He explained that this encounter happened after the Student Union Government (SUG) had already departed from the protest. Ibokpo claimed he had advised his friends to wait until the next day for government action on their demands before continuing the protest.

"When I was about to return to the motor park, soldiers stormed the area and began shooting sporadically at the protesters," Ibokpo recounted. "As I made my way back to the park, passengers and friends told me I had blood on my face. When I checked, I discovered a big hole caused by the soldiers' bullets."

Call for Justice

The victim has condemned the shooting of protesters and called on the international human rights community, the International Court of Justice, lawyers, journalists, and the Nigerian Government to investigate the incident thoroughly and hold the responsible soldiers and their sponsors accountable.

"They must not go unpunished. Government should do something in this matter by investigation," Ibokpo emphasized.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday during a community rally against the increasing cases of kidnappings and killings allegedly perpetrated by herdsmen in the Abraka area.

Ibokpo insisted that he was not struck with the butt of a gun as some reports suggested, but was directly shot with bullets, resulting in his facial injury.

As of the time of this report, there has been no official statement from military authorities regarding the alleged shooting of protesters in Abraka.