A 32-year-old man, Preye, believed ttheo be son of Chief Gordon Bozimo, the chairman of the Governing Board, National Youth Service Corps, has been allegedly shot by suspected operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) in Bayelsa State.
It was learnt that Preye was lodging in Peretimi Hotels at Imgbi Road, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State where he was reportedly shot in the stomach which he believed was carried out by hired operatives of the DSS as directed by the hotel manager.
According to the victim, whois from Bomadi, Delta State, a building contractor and founder of Prezimo Global Resources, three suspected DSS operatives were personally led by the manager of the hotel to deal with him and finally shoot him in the stomach.
Furthermore, it was learnt that the police nabbed, detained and discharged some of the hotel workers and closed down the hotel for about five days.
However, the victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa where he is was said to be lying critically sick at the Surgical Ward.
It was alleged that he lodged in the hotel September 30, 2014 with his cousin, Mr. Nathaniel Alaweremi.
While narrating his ordeal, he said he had a little misunderstanding with Alaweremi over some money-related issues and the manager who stayed in an opposite room came to intervene.
Preye said, “Last week, Tuesday, I came into Yenagoa so, I went to Peretimi Hotel on Imgbi road. I got there and paid for a room. I had little argument with my cousin on monetary issues involving our construction.
“Our voices went high due to the little argument. The room I lodged in was opposite the manager’s office. She came and accused us of chasing one of her customers away because of our noise.
“She said we were so noisy and didn’t think we could stay in her hotel. So, we said no problem that she should refund our money to us. I approached her and told her that as a manager, she was not supposed to treat her customers like that. She immediately responded and said she would show me.”
He added that the manager left them for a while only to resurface again with some three armed persons who were reportedly SSS operatives.
He added, “She left and came in with three SSS men. They were in suites and they wore glasses with two guns and a big riffle. Immediately, they asked my cousin to leave the room. They locked me inside.
“Everything looked suspicious to me because I know that it is not how to arrest a person. While I was trying to plead with the manager that the matter had not got to the level she took it, the SSS men punched on me.
“The next thing I heard was a shot and I realised it was on my stomach and I fell to the ground inside the room and they started hitting me. The other one said, ‘empty his pocket’ and they took all my money, my ATM cards, my wrist watch, pulled my trousers, took my shoes and my car key.
“It was a clear robbery. They now dragged me outside. I was on t-shirt and on boxer shorts. They dragged me through the pavements; all my ribs were paining me.
“Then they fired two shots into the air. When my cousin came to where I was lying, they threatened to shoot him on the leg.They took me into their bus and went away. When we got to the station, they put me on the ground and I was bleeding.”
When asked the name of the station he was taken to, he said, “I did not really no because I was dizzy but it was an SSS station. On the ground, I was bleeding and shouting everybody refused to attend to me.
“But when they saw the amount of blood coming out of my body they now decided to take me to the hospital. So, I was asking why they shot me like a common criminal. They said that they are security agents and they choose to do whatsoever they wish to do and that there is nothing I can do.”
Also, he counted his loss during the incidence including his valuables including about N100,000 which was ripped off him during the attack at about 12 and 2pm on the eventful day.
Preye continued, “They shot me in my stomach. One of the bullets went in and came out. The other bullet that went in, they still haven’t seen the bullet and the doctor here said I have to go for further check abroad because they have done their best.
“They said even if they see the bullet, they can’t operate it. So, this is the situation. These men were so confident of themselves because they said I can’t do anything. I think they have been doing this kind of thing.”
Owing to the pains experienced by Preye, his cousin, Alaweremi, who substantiated the story, maintained that the supposed DSS operatives were hired by the hotel manager to eventually beat and shoot Preye.
He said, “The manager was laughing at my brother’s ordeal and she said that we got what we were looking for. My brother did nothing wrong. The doctors are saying that they couldn’t handle the case here and that he should be taken abroad. Where will the money come out from to run these expenses?”
As at the time of the report, the state Director, DSS, Mr. Dawa Everest, could not be reached for comments whereas the Commissioner of Police, said he had not gotten a detailed report of the incident.
