“He slumped on his own”, Police reacts as Taskforce officials reportedly beat man to death in Rivers

Tension mounts in Portharcourt when a man was allegedly beaten to death by men of the state task force on street.

The man whose identity was not confirmed was suspected to be a Bureau de change operator near the Presidential Hotel.

Spokesman of the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni confirmed the death, saying the matter was being investigated.

The coordinator of the task Force, Bright Amaewhule in an interview on Tuesday said his men had no hand in the man’s death, saying he slumped on his own and that his men took him to the nearby military hospital in the hope that he would be resuscitated.

Amaewhule said, “There is no truth in the rumour making the rounds that members of the state task force killed the man; my men had no hand whatsoever in that death; instead they came to offer help to the fainting man but were turned down by the deceased’s brothers around.

“However, the man that died was not a money Bureau de change person, instead he runs a buka behind the refurbished presidential hotel bus stop along Aba Road, although we have been asking him to leave the place.”