There was pandemonium at the Banana Junction in Orlu town of Imo State on Tuesday as a police inspector shot dead a 27-year-old man for not wearing a face mask.
The incident which happened around 3pm caused a storm in the area as youths, including traders, threatened to invade a nearby police station.
A detachment of police team had been drafted to the scene to rescue the situation.
An eyewitness told newsmen that the victim, a commercial motorcyclist, who was with a passenger, was reportedly shot on a close-range by one of the policemen who were on a stop-and-search duty.
The witness said, “A police inspector has shot and killed an okada rider at Banana Junction for not wearing a face mask. The policeman who stopped the man asked him why he was not wearing a face mask and one thing led to the other and he shot him on a close range and he died on the spot.
“The situation here is getting out of hands. The youths, okada riders, and traders are on rampage. Policemen have taken to their heels. Those at the police station have removed their police uniforms and are putting on plain cloths.”