400-Level Student Ella Dies After Police Shooting During Stop-and-Search

A vibrant young Nigerian, Emmanuella Ahenjir, popularly known as Ella and a 400-level student of Kwararafa University, has been confirmed dead after allegedly being shot by police officers during a stop-and-search operation in Makurdi, Benue State.

The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, May 16, near Wurukum Roundabout. According to multiple accounts, officers attached to the E-Division Police Command reportedly opened fire on a vehicle in which Ella was a passenger, fatally wounding her.

The police, in a press release signed by the Benue State Police Command spokesperson CSP Anene Sewuese Catherine, stated that around 4 a.m., officers on duty at Duku Park attempted to stop a vehicle allegedly coming from the Benuelinks area. The police claim the driver defied the stop order, turned around, and drove off using the opposite lane. Officers said they responded with a single shot after allegedly being fired upon.

However, survivors of the incident present a different story.

Apase Keghter, a friend of the deceased and one of the vehicle’s occupants, told detectives that they were returning from a club at Newcastle Event Centre when they drove past the checkpoint on the wrong lane but never fired at the police. He alleged that officers opened fire on their vehicle, hitting Emmanuella.

After the shooting, they drove to Welfare Quarters with the wounded Ella but were forced to stop due to a flat tyre. At that point, they flagged down a commercial vehicle which transported them to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital. Sadly, she was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The police have launched an investigation. The vehicle involved and other passengers are reportedly still unaccounted for.

Benue State Commissioner of Police, CP Emenari Ifeanyi, has promised a thorough investigation, assuring the family and the public that the command will get to the bottom of the incident and uphold the rule of law.

Ella’s death has sparked outrage among youths on social media, with many calling for justice and accountability. Her friends described her as a “cheerful light in every room” and “full of life with a promising future.”

Calls are mounting for the Nigerian Police Force to revisit and reform its stop-and-search operations, which have repeatedly led to violent and tragic outcomes.

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