There was tension in the Iyana Ishashi area of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway at the weekend after a policeman, identified as Inspector Wahab, shot a tricycle rider, identified as Biliaminu, over N500 ‘security fee.’
Report says a team of policemen attached to the highway patrol team in the Idimu Police Division, engaged some tricycle and motorcycle riders in a fight after some allegedly refused to pay an ‘agreed’ N500 security fee.
According to the report, a team of policemen usually operate at the Iyana Ishashi bus stop on illegal duty, collecting money from tricycle and motorcycle riders.
However, luck ran out on them when Inspector Wahab allegedly shot his victim.
A tricycle driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity, lamented the extortion and accused the policemen of high way theft.
He said they paid about N10, 000 every month for settlement.
He said, “We pay the police and even military officers whenever they come here. If we don’t pay the money, they could seize our means of livelihood and to get them back, you will have to pay at least N10, 000. And how much are we making from this business?”
Narrating the incident, a motorcycle rider, Bidemi Ayeni, told The Punch that the policemen’s greed caused the incident.
Ayeni said, “The practice here is that whenever the police come to the park, we give them N500. That happens every Friday. It is called security fee.
“We pay them so that they will not disturb us. And we always rotate it among the three units in this park.
“The three units are the motorcycle riders, the tricycle drivers and the Kelebe drivers. Kelebe is a small-sized four-wheel vehicle.
“Last Friday was the turn of the Kelebe drivers to make settlement and after they had paid, the policemen said the N500 was too small for them.
“One of the Kelebe drivers then came inside the park to plead with the chairman of the tricycle rivers, so that he would also pay.
“Somebody abused him for not minding his business and the people there said it was not their turn to pay.
“The Kelebe driver went and reported to the policemen who sent him, and the officers came inside the park and assaulted the tricycle drivers’ chairman,” Ayeni narrated.
Some thugs in the park and followers of the chairman were said to have attacked the Kelebe driver for his role in the incident after which the policemen moved to avenge the assault of the Kelebe driver.
The park boys were said to have attacked the policemen with stones and other cudgels and the police retaliated.
The police Inspector, Wahab, was alleged to have opened fire on the victim, who was among the chairman’s supporters.
It was gathered that it was after the dust had settled that Biliaminu was seen in a pool of blood.
The policeman that shot him reportedly pursued him and when he could not catch up with him, he shot him in the back. One of his ears was seriously affected as he reportedly landed on an object.
He was thereafter, rushed to an unnamed private hospital in the state where he had been placed under intensive care.
Meanwhile, the four policemen reportedly surrendered themselves to the nearest police station in the area and were later transferred to the state command headquarters and have been detained.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the police were investigating the case.
“The report is that a team of policemen fired during an encounter with some hoodlums in the Iyana Ishashi area.
“Afterwards, it was discovered that a bullet had strayed into an okada operator (motorcyclist).
“Meanwhile, the police are still investigating the team and their report,” the PPRO confirmed.
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