Trailer kills motorcyclist

Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta

A trailer heading towards Ibadan via Oru-Ijebu axis ran over a commercial motorcyclist at the junction connecting the highway and Ijebu-Igbo/Ago-Iwoye, killing the rider on the spot.

Other cyclists who gathered at the scene to sympathise with their dead colleague were said to have gone haywire and decided to burn down the truck in protest.

Our correspondent gathered that when all persuasion made to the okada riders by the police team drafted to the scene failed, the angry policemen opened fire on the rampaging okada riders and one person was shot in the process. He was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

When contacted to comment on the incident, the State Police spokesman, (PPRO), DSP Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the incident, adding that, the policemen were compelled to shoot when it became too obvious that the life of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Awa-Ijebu, Demian Okeke who led the team was in danger.

Adejobi explained that the incident occurred at exactly 8:00 a.m. at Idofe community, a stone-throw from Awa Police Divisional Headquarters and that the commercial motorcyclists barricaded the highway, thereby obstructing vehicular movement at the highway.

He said the development compelled the DPO to lead the police team in company of the Ijebu-Ode Area Commander, Mudasiru Abdullahi, with the view to disperse the protesting okada men.

The PPRO stated further that rather than heeding to the plea of the police, the protesting okada men attacked the DPO, seized him and poured petroleum on him in an attempt to burn him to death.

“It was at that point that policemen at the scene shot the leader of the commercial motorcyclists in the leg. Police did not shoot with the intention to kill, but our men shot with the purpose to disperse the protesters and clear the highway, when they had already poured petrol on the DPO Awa-Ijebu,with the intent to burn him.

“Police was not the one that caused the accident, why then did they seek to set our DPO ablaze?”, Adejobi queried.

The Ogun Police spokesman further explained that the duo of the DPO as well as the leader of the protesters shot were already receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital, adding that the police would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and prosecute whoever found culpable.