The Obehira area of Okene Local Government, Kogi State was on Wednesday thrown into a state of pandemonium as a police patrol vehicle alleged to have killed a pedestrian was set ablaze by unidentified youths in the area.
The angry youths, were said to have accused the police of been responsible for the death of a man who was crushed to death by a hit and run motorist.
It was gathered that the police patrol vehicle was in pursuit of a vehicle alleged to be carrying India Hemp along the Obehira road.
But the said vehicle in an attempt to escape from the police hit a pedestrian who fell into a gutter.
According to an eyewitness, the youths in the area became mad on the police officers who were more interested on the car carrying the illicit substance, which was abandoned at the spot of the incident by its occupants than the injured person.
According to him, the youths became enraged at the perceived police inhumanity.
The eyewitness further stated that the demand by the angry youths that the police should see to the treatment of the victim led to a face-off.
It was learnt that the police officers fled the scene to avoid been lynched by the angry youth, leaving behind their patrol vehicle as well as the one carrying the banned substance. They were both burnt down by the mob.
While confirming the development, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Collins Adebayo, said that the police received a distress call that a vehicle was carrying some banned substance, adding that the driver fled with the vehicle when he sighted the police.
Adebayo stressed that while the driver was trying to escaping from the police, one of his tyres went bad and this led him to hitting a pedestrian who later died.
The police spokesperson added that the irate youths attacked the police and set the two vehicles ablaze.
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