BENIN CITY- Angry commercial bus drivers have clubbed a police inspector to coma over an alleged incessant extortion in Benin City.
Also, a commercial bus driver said to have stood in front of a police patrol van to resist confiscation of his vehicle battery has been allegedly hit and dragged on the road by the patrol vehicle.
Sources say both the policeman and the bus driver are on danger list of a hospital in Benin City.
The incident occurred on Mission road by Owoseni junction, New Benin, about 4:25pm, Monday.
Other bus drivers took to the street making fires with condemned tyres on the ever-busy Mission and New Benin-Lagos roads.
The protest forced traders around the area to close shops as traffic was suspended for several hours on the roads.
The arrival of two patrol vehicles from Esigie Police Division and police Headquarters in Benin City did not stop the protest as some the aggrieved youths smashed windshield of some private cars which drivers dared crossed the line.
It was scooped that trouble started when the embattled driver, Moses Irabor aka Osama who was going to New Benin from Ring Road suddenly made a U-turn and dropped his passengers at Owoseni junction.
The policemen said to be of New Benin Police Division swiftly accosted and accused him of committing traffic offense.
It was alleged that the policemen were said to have demanded for instant settlement or he would get his bus impounded.
It was further learnt that the bus driver ignored the demand of the policemen and reminded them   that all bus drivers in New Benin bus stop pay daily financial homage to their station in order to avoid such provocation and confrontation.
One of the policemen were said to have forced his way into the bus and removed the battery which he dropped in their patrol vehicle.
Sources disclosed further that the driver in an attempt to prevent the officers from going away with his bus battery stood in front of the police van.
It was however alleged that the driver of the patrol vehicle moved it backward a bit and like a scene in a gangster movie sped off dragging the bus driver on the tiered road for about 100mitres before stopping amid screaming and wailing of onlookers.
It also gathered that as the driver was being pulled from under the police van unconscious and with mangled flesh, angered traders, drivers and passers-by spontaneously bounced on the policemen with sticks as one of them collapsed following head injury he allegedly sustained in the process.
When our crime correspondent arrived the scene shortly afterwards, the said bus, a nine-sitter Mistibushi bus marked KSF 978 XH and painted with fire-red and yellow colours was abandoned on Mission road by Owoseni junction.
The driver and passengers doors on the bus were opened even as the battery was observed to have been removed from its compartment behind the driver’s seat.
Our reporter visit to the hospital reveal a gory sight of the victim who was wreathing in pains on the sick bed.
He was unable to monster a word as he was being carried on a stretcher by family members who alleged that the hospital has abandoned him.
They disclosed that though a doctor has recommended an X-ray for him, the hospital said that their Ambulance has gone out for repairs.
His wife who identified herself simply as Mama Tracy said she was with her husband when the unfortunate incident occurred.
She alleged that after the battery was removed from the bus, her husband stood in front of the police vehicle with an appeal that they should allow him work as the police driver sped off hitting and dragging him on the road.
Contacted, the Spokesman, Edo Police Command DSP Joseph Edogiawerie stated that the issue was a pure case of accident involving the commercial bus driver and a team of policemen on patrol.
He said further that the patrol team commander, a police inspector was attacked during the disturbances.
On whether the incident was triggered by extortion, DSP Edogiawerie said that on-going investigation would reveal what actually transpired.