*Four police patrol vans set ablaze
Protest on Tuesday erupted in Benin City, Edo State
capital, following the alleged killing of a bus driver simply identified as
John by policemen at the Third Junction area of the city over the latter's alleged
refusal to part with N200 tip.
Information gathered revealed that policemen on
routine patrol had stopped the bus driver and allegedly demanded N200 from him.
The bus driver who was said to have concluded plans
to have his wedding this weekend, instead, offered N100 which enraged the
policemen who dragged him out of the bus, and in the process, he fell off the
bus into a moving trailer that crushed his head
According to an eye witness, immediately this
happened, the policemen fled the vicinity which spark off the protest that
later moved to Akpakpava road, Murtala Mohammed Way and 2nd East Circular road,
where angry youths set ablaze four police operational vehicles (Hilux vans) and
another van belonging to a task force attached to the Edo State Government.
Different sets of fires were also made by the angry
youths in protest of the killing of the commercial bus driver, thereby
obstructing free flow of traffic for several hours.
The protest later turned violent and resulted in a
clash between youths and some mobile policemen deployed in the scene.
As the policemen fired tear gas canisters to
disperse the protesters; the demonstrators threw stones at the security
personnel.
It took the deployment of the military to remove
the body of the driver as large crowd that gathered at the scene, rained curses
on the police.
The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson
Babatunde Kokumo, when contacted, confirmed the development, saying the police are
currently investigating the matter
He said: "As it is now, it is still an
allegation against the police, and not until investigation is done, we cannot
say if the police are culpable or not."
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