Crime barricade tape. | Courtesy.

A 25-year-old boda-boda rider and student at Don Bosco Vocational School was shot and killed at the Gumbo Sherikat residential area east of Juba on Saturday, a witness said.

The deceased, Peter Ogenya, was killed by a police officer, according to his friend whom we have called Simon to protect his identity.

Simon said late Ogenya was among five boda-boda riders who parked their bikes by a roadside in the Gumbo suburb on Saturday evening when a man in police uniform approached them.

The witness recounted that the gun-wielding officer, whom he said appeared intoxicated, started interrogating them.

In the process of the questioning, the police officer shot in the ground, prompting the boys to flee.

Mr. Simon said as they fled, the gunman shot at them, killing Peter Ogenya.

“There was a drunk policeman who came to our park with a gun in his hand, he started lighting his phone torch towards us. I was seated on the bike when he started lighting at me,” he narrated in an interview with Eye Radio.

“I told him if you want to talk to me, talk to me but don’t light my eyes directly. He switched off his light and again lighted it towards my other brothers, we were five and the rest were seated on the bench while I was seated on the bike.”

“When he lighted at these brothers, they told him the same thing, and he started lighting his phone light at the boy he later killed. He lighted at the boy and told him to stand up.”

“The deceased asked him what the problem was and that if you want me to stand up, switch off the light. He switched off the light and shot the gun down. We ran away and he shot at Ogenya (the late) at the back.”

When contact for comment, Deputy Police Spokesperson, Brig. Gen. James Dak, said he has learned about the incident but the official report is yet to be produced by Central Equatoria State police force.

“I have not got the details. I will reach out to inquire the details whether this person has been apprehended or arrested,” he said.

“I have not confirmed but if you give me chance, I will connect. The information comes from Central Equatoria, you know we don’t have data”.

The killing of the young rider is the third reported shooting incident in a single day in Juba after one other person was killed and six more were wounded in two separate shootings by gunmen, according to SSPDF spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Simon narrated that after the fatal shooting in Gumbo, the suspect tried to open fire at some soldiers but his gun jammed before he was taken away.

“When the incident happened, I ran not too far. When I looked back, the boy fell down and I decided to stop when I met some soldiers coming. I went and told them to help the boy who has been shot.”

“When the soldiers went to him, he wanted to shoot them but the gun failed to cock and so these soldiers went to him and they started talking in the local language.”

On Saturday, SSPDF Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang said a drive-by shooting at the Seventh Day Roundabout, killed a civilian and wounded another.

Lul said unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of people waiting for public buses before they sped off through Custom Road.

Meanwhile, five people were wounded by a police officer who had dinner and refused to pay his bills at a restaurant in Juba’s Hai Cinema Area just a few hours later.

Gen. Lul said an officer only identified as First Lieutenant Marial from the South Sudan National Police Service refused to pay his bills resulting in a minor quarrel with the restaurant owner.

In what the army official described as unexpected turn of events, Marial returned a moment later with a loaded gun and indiscriminately opened fire on dinners, wounding five people.

The security official said the police officer was then arrested by CID officers and is being detained at the police headquarters in Buluk.