EKPOMA- There was pandemonium at Ogbeyanyan community before Ekpoma on Benin-Auchi Road in Edo state at travellers were said to have scampered for safety following the incident that led to lost of life.
According to Mr Edema Uwaidiae an articulated vehicle rammed into the failed portion on the road by igieduma village thereby occupying a large portion of the road, a situation he said prompted travelers who have lesser luggage to continue their journey on foot to the nearby village to board vehicle.
Mr. Uwaidiae said due to the grindlock on the road some passengers demanded for part of their money with an alternatives to continue their journey on foot to the nearby village or return to where they were coming from.
The eyewitness said the whole trouble started from occupants of a eighteen seater bus with registration number EBD 438 AK Edo when some of the passengers forcefully pulled the driver out of the seat requesting for their money, a situation that was reported that the driver resisted, insisting that part of the monies had been used for logistic, a word that angered the passers to unleash terror on the driver identified as Prince Shaka who was rushed to the hospital by concerned passerby’s, the scenario was said to have angered the driver’s apprentice who smashed an iron from the vehicle on one of the worrying passenger’s head that took his life.
The death of the passenger resorted to panic among travelers as aggrieved passengers set the vehicle ablaze while the said apprentice escaped the scene by whiskers.
When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer Edo State Command DSP Etim Bassey said the police could not gain access to the scene until Edo Central Area Commander Mr Mustafa Mohammed was mandated by the Commissioner for Police to remove the broken down vehicle from the road to pave way for free flow of traffic.
Mr. Bassey identified the dead passengers as Okonta Ikpia aged thirty years (30) pointing out that the man who allegedly murdered the deceased have absconded but the police will leave no stone unturned to ensure his arrest maintaining that Mr. Johnbull Obakpolo owner of the eighteen seater bus with the registration EBA 438 AK-Edo which got burnt in the crisis has laid complaint that his driver Prince Shaka whom he gave the vehicle to is no longer in the hospital and was said to have absconded from the hospital with the aid of a staff of the medical centre, an allegation the police says the medical director of the hospital has been invited for interrogation on the accusation on the actual cause of alleged escapee.
The police image maker said all the fleeing suspects will be arrested, if not found, will be declared wanted adding that information at their disposal indicates that the owner of the burnt vehicle Mr. Obakpolor has held hostage the younger brothers of the fleeing suspect, Prince Shaka, a situation the Police PRO described as unacceptable in the eyes of the law.
DSP Bassey further said the bereaved family has appealed to the Police to fish out Mr. Shaka who is believed to have been the originator of the problem before the deceased will be buried.
