Pandemonium in Abeokuta as bullion van crushes motorcyclist to death

Pandemonium broke out, yesterday, in Oke-Ilewo area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, when

a bullion van belonging to one of the new generation banks reportedly crushed a 22-year-old man, Gbenga Okesola to death.

The incident occurred around 11a.m., as the van knocked down the victim, who was riding a motorcycle around the OPIC Roundabout, ran over him and dragged him on the road for about five metres, before it stopped.

It was further gathered that the policemen escorting the van reportedly dragged the victim from under the van, while he was still breathing, dumped him by the roadside, and zoomed off with the vehicles.

Riot

The action of the Policemen was said to have angered other commercial motorcyclists, who had their park at the roundabout, as they unleashed violence, attacking law enforcement agents and passers-by.

Attempts by men of Police command in the state to curb the violence made things worse as the aggrieved protesters hauled stones and other missiles at a detachment of regular and riot policemen, who were later dispatched to the scene.

The policemen had to fire tear gas canisters to disperse them. Doors of eateries, commercial banks and shops in the area were quickly shut, as residents ran for their lives.

The victim, a carpentry apprentice, was on his way to the computer village in the area to buy a memory card, when the incident occurred.

An eyewitness, Bunmi Adewale, said the victim would have survived if he had been taken to a nearby hospital as soon as the inicident occured.

Police story

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the bullion van belonged to a new generation bank in the state and was driven by a supernumerary policeman, popularly known as Spy, trained by the bank to move cash from one point to the other.

He disclosed that the driver of the bullion van had been arrested and that they had the bullion van in their custody.

He said: “A bullion van belonging to one of the new generation banks knocked down a motorcyclist at OPIC Roundabout, and he fell under the vehicle.

“The vehicle dragged him for about five metres before the police escort pulled him out and abandoned him. This was what angered the people.

“They have the right to protest, but they became violent and started attacking law enforcement agents, passers-by and even journalists.

“We had to apply minimum force to disperse them and also to take the corpse of the victim to the mortuary.

“Presently, we have arrested the driver of the bullion van and the vehicle too is our custody. The law will take its course and justice will be done.

“If the policemen attached to the van are found to be culpable, they will be made to face the wrath of the law.”

Vanguard