Upper Igun Road area in Benin City, the Edo State capital has gone aflame following the death of an about-to-wed man reportedly caused by a policeman.
An eyewitness said the police stopped a man and his fiancée after they allegedly disobeyed traffic rules and demanded him to pay N2, 000.
The source said the defaulters pleaded to pay N1, 700 as they had nothing on them because of their forthcoming wedding but the officer refused.
His refusal to pay the said amount angered one of the police officers, who allegedly pushed him into a moving trailer and he was crushed to death on the spot.
The officers disappeared from the scene after they realized the man had been crushed to death.
The incident sparked violence in the area as youths of the community set the police vans ablaze.
“As we speak, they are threatening to burn down the divisional headquarters. Upper Igun is on fire as we speak,” the source said
Speaking with DAILY POST on phone, a police officer, who would not want his name mentioned because he was not authorized to speak on the incident, claimed that the deceased was trying to snatch the officer’s gun.
“The man (deceased) was trying to snatch his gun and he had to push him away. It was not deliberate. He never saw the trailer coming,” the officer said.
Reacting to the development, the State Police Commissioner, Babatunde Kokumo, said the police has commenced investigation into the incident.
Kokumo stated that nobody has been able to state what actually happened except from hearsay evidence.
He said all eyewitnesses statements that have been obtained did not state categorically that they were present when the deceased was pushed by the policemen,
His words, “We are investigating the allegation. We want eye witness to give a proper account. Nobody has come out to say it was the police that pushed the man. The allegation was made against the police and we will investigate.”
“Investigation is ongoing it is unfortunate that it happened. Nobody has said he saw the policeman pushed the driver.”
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