Pandemonium ensued on Friday on the Mile 2-Apapa Expressway, Lagos State, as angry drivers protesting the killing of their colleague, Femi Oyedokun, vandalised commercial buses and harassed passengers.
The rampaging drivers, who were armed with cudgel and sticks, shattered windscreens of passing commercial buses and ordered them to stop working. Those who resisted were assaulted.
Punch learnt that 45-year-old Oyedokun was shot dead around 9am at the Second Rainbow junction by a yet-to-be identified policeman attached to the Orile Police Division.
The victim, whose wife was just pregnant after seven years of barrenness, was said to be driving towards the Airport Road at the time.
As he approached the Rainbow junction, he reportedly met a police van blocking those driving against the traffic.
The police were said to have blocked a commercial bus coming in his direction, but the driver manoeuvred and sped off after Oyedokun made space for him.
One of the policemen, who was visibly angry that the victim frustrated their efforts at apprehending the bus driver, reportedly opened fire on him.
The bullet which hit him in the chest, killed him instantly.
The victim’s bus conductor, Saheed Babajide, who witnessed the incident, said the three man police team fled the scene.
He said, “It was around 8.30am. We saw some vehicles coming in our direction. The police blocked the one in front and wanted to arrest him, but because it was sudden, my driver applied the brake suddenly.
“The man they wanted to arrest quickly swerved and sped off and they could not arrest him. One of the policemen was angry and he shot my boss dead.”
Babajide said the police team, on seeing what they had done fled the scene, while some of the passengers gave them a chase.
He said they were able to recover the uniform of one of the policemen, but he fled the scene.
It was learnt that some other policemen stormed the scene and began shooting sporadically into the air to disperse a mob that had gathered around the corpse.
Babajide said the police took him and two others, together with the corpse, to the Orile Police Division.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, who later arrived at the scene, appealed that the crowd should not take laws into their hands.
He said the damage had already been done, adding that rioting would only not bring back the dead.
He said, “Even the policeman that did this is full of regret wherever he is right now. Burning the station will not solve the problem, but will only cause more sorrow and loss of tax payers money of which you are a contributor.
“It is painful that Femi (Oyedokun) is dead and nobody prayed for such tragedy. I have met with his family including the family lawyer and I have assured them that justice will be done.We will continue to talk to our men to comport themselves, but truth is that nobody knows the state of mind of everyone.”
(Protesters at the scene on Friday)
- Punch
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