Lokoja: Two Die As Police Open Fire On Bus Over N20

[Prince]

New York is a city that never sleeps.  Nigeria is a country that never rests.  Love her, adore her, one thing is clear.  We ought to be embarrassed to be Nigerians, I know I am.  Let noby tell me again that there\'s no place like home.  This is one home that has outlived her luster and glory.  In the news, Tuesday,

Two Die As Police Open Fire On Bus Over N20
From Ralph Omololu Agbana, Lokoja

YET, another attempt by a motorist to abide by the directive of the new Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, not to give \"bribe\" to the police has ended in disaster.

Policemen at a checkpoint on Abuja-Lokoja-Okene Road chased and opened fire on the law-abiding motorist\'s commercial vehicle, thus causing an accident in which two passengers died and several others were injured.

The bus driver had allegedly refused to part with any \"donation\" and had sped off. However, the infuriated policemen gave a chase and one of them opened fire on the vehicle deflating the tyres and causing the bus to somersault into a ditch.

One of the dazed survivors, who managed to extricate himself from the wreckage recounted: \"I was deep asleep when suddenly I heard everybody shouting \'driver, please, stop, stop!\' But the driver insisted he had no money on him to give to them (police). So he would not stop. Then after we had beaten the check-point, the policemen jumped into their vehicle and gave us a chase. But they were no match for the speed of the bus. When they attempted to over-take suddenly one of them, like in a movie brought out his rifle through the window and started firing at us. Bullets hit one of the back tyres and with everyone crying \'Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ!!, the tyre burst and that was all I could remember ...\"
Luck, however, ran out on the policemen when the driver of their vehicle, a Peugeot 306 saloon, marked NPF 55685, lost control and the vehicle veered off the road to run against a tree.

When The Guardian visited the scene, the bus, a Nissan Urvan, popularly called \"four-corner\" with registration number, Ondo XB42KAK was seen lying in a ditch, littered with human blood, few metres from the police car. The victims were not immediately identified, though they were said to be mainly students and women travelling from Abuja to Lagos.

They were said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital in nearby Lokoja.

Two of the four officers were said to have immediately fled into the bush.

Two others were, however, not as mobile, due to injuries sustained in the accident involving their own vehicle.

An angry crowd descended on them and it took the intervention of a council chairman in Kogi State to rescue them from the scene.

The council chief\'s action, however, drew the ire of the protesters who accused him of conspiracy. The ensuing commotion held up traffic along the road for almost two hours.

But he was saved by some of his locals, mainly youths, who protected him.

Angered by what they alleged as incessant extortion and brutalisation on Nigerian roads, particularly the Abuja-Okene Road, commuters, supported by hundreds of passengers, and private motorists barricaded the road demanding the presence of the Inspector-General of Police or Kogi State Police Commissioner and immediate justice.

Attempts by several personalities, held up in the commotion to plead with the protesters fell on deaf ears, as they insisted the IG or police commissioner visit the scene \"to come and see the evils that their men do on Nigerian highways.\"
Witnesses told The Guardian that it took the intervention of a member of the House of Representatives, Abdul Oroh, to get the road cleared.

Oroh, a member of the House Committee on Police Affairs, had a hectic time convincing the mob to open up the road and channel their grouse through lawful means. He promised to take up the matter and ensure that justice was done.

There was a mild drama however when the commuters requested the federal legislator to put a phone call through to the Inspector-General from the spot so they could register their anger directly to him.

Oroh however told them that it was not possible as GSM network service was not extended to the area.

The mob eventually agreed to open the road but not until Oroh had agreed to sign an undertaking.

[Honeybunnie]

This is just preposterous...I thought cops were meant to serve and protect citizens of a country et al. These cops are a betrayal to the good cops (I\'m sure there are a few good eggs) in that country. 2 people die all because of 20 Naira (about 20 cents). Have we degenrated to this extent that a law abiding citizen is harrassed by men in uniform who are regular people that just have the extra advantage of holding a gun. This is sad, they should all bow their heads in shame and made to pay for this atrocity. It\'s things like this that make you want to deny your homeland honestly.

[Prince]

That\'s Nigeria, for you.  

By the way, may I observe, Honeyb, that your English rocks.  The improvement is astronomical.  It\'s bouncing off the charts.  Your construction, your choice of words, your diction... man... excuse me... girl, you are slaaaaamming.

Whatrever you do, never let go.

[Honeybunnie]

Oh Thank you, thank you!!! What can I say, I\'m learning from the best, when you read all the posts that Prince puts up on here, you can\'t help but be affected.

[Prince]

Aaaaawww!  I\'m blushing, i\'m blushing.  
You\'re welcome.

[uapo4]

This is embarassing. I hope the police men are stripped of their jobs and prosecuted properly. As a police man, you should pledge your life for the protection of your fellow citizens...if you cannot, then leave and find something else to do. That department really needs restructuring or major shuffling to make lives better.
Isn\'t it bewildering that when you are in trouble like you are missing your direction to a given destination, that you would rather ask a stranger than ask a police man in Nigeria?

[Susia]

Never Fails!!!!!!!! Bribery and Corruption in High places!!!!!!!!!!!!

See what 20Naira has done, taken the life of 2 people. Nigeroan Police, is the worst Law Enforcement i have ever come across . They dont care much about crimes any longer rather care about themsleves and how to make extra money.

When will all of this stop.

@ Prince, nice caption...... Country that never rests.....Tell me about it.

[Prince]

It is the pungencyof the activities of these underlings that make the dispeakable attrocities, committed by the big guns, look like a Merto Reunion picnic.