1 dead, 1 critical and 23 injured in ethnic fight in Koki

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1 dead, 1 critical and 23 injured in ethnic fight in Koki

PORT MORESBY: One man is dead, another critically injured and five are in stable condition after they were allegedly shot in a fight that erupted over a taxi driving into the K-Mart car park in Koki yesterday (Feb 7, 2022).

Another 17 are nursing minor injuries sustained in the fight that stopped traffic from Badili to Koki.

The news break was reported by The National:

One dead in ethnic clash

February 8, 2022The NationalMain Stories

ONE man is dead, another is critically injured and five are in stable condition after they were allegedly shot in a fight that erupted over a taxi driving into a Koki supermarket car park in Moresby South yesterday without permission.
Another 17 are nursing minor injuries sustained in the fight that stopped traffic from Badili to Koki.
Between 7am and 7.30am, a man from Western Highlands drove his taxi into the car park of the K-Mart supermarket, the guards went to tell him that he was not allowed to drive into the car park and a fight erupted.
The taxi driver took out a bush knife and hit one of the guards, partially severing his ear.
NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu however said the ethnic clash started when a Goilala man tried to rob the taxi driver.
“One Goilala was caught attempting to rob a taxi when he was manhandled by the youths who provide security at Koki market, the Community Watch Programme,” he said.
“But in the group of the Goilalas, there were mixed group of bystanders that retaliated against the Wanigelas and that’s how the ethnic clash started.”
Ikumu said policemen who responded at the scene were stoned.
“My policemen and the police cars were stoned by the thugs,” he said.
“Even the Moresby-South district administrator Aisop Mol, who attended to the incident, got his legs stoned.
“The police managed to calm down the tensed situation.”
Ikumu said police were monitoring the road at Koki and were discouraging the public from using the shoreline road round Koki Point.
“The public is advised to take the hill road when travelling to downtown,” he said.
Badili Police Station commander Inspector Jerry Obert told The National that the incident saw several men from Goilala come to the aid of the guards.
The taxi driver was supported by several men from Wanigela.
“From that car park, the fight spilled over to the road, more people came in and joined both sides with the fight seeing Wanigela men facing off against the men from Goilala,” Obert said.
“The Wanigela group were stationed at the bus stop and overhead bridge while the Goilala group were stationed at Big Rooster and near Salvation Army.
“We have commenced investigations into the death and how the other men received wounds from firearms,” Obert said.
Police are continuing investigations.