Five commercial drivers have been shot dead by soldiers at
Ilesha-Baruba, Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara in a dispute over N200
bribe.
Quoting sources in the area, the News Agency of Nigeria
reports that the incident was triggered off by a driver who refused to pay the
usual N200 “booking” bribe to soldiers at a checkpoint they mounted
Ilesha-Baruba/Chikanda highway.
The driver reportedly told the soldiers that he had already
‘booked’ earlier in the morning.
But the claim was said to have infuriated the soldiers who
subsequently slapped and ordered the friver to do frog jumps.
According to the sources, the vehicle was also seized.
The driver later left the spot and lodged a complaint with
officials of the transport union in the area.
NAN learnt that members of the union subsequently followed
the driver with the aim of talking to the soldiers on his behalf.
This however allegedly degenerated into unpleasant
arguments, leading to the alleged shooting of some drivers with three allegedly
dying on the spot and two dying later from gunshot wounds.
One of the sources said that the corpses of the deceased
were taken to a morgue in Saki, Oyo state.
He added that some victims with serious wounds were
presently receiving medical care at a hospital in Saki while some were taken to
native doctors in Kenu village for removal of bullets from their bodies.
When contacted for reaction on the shooting incident, SP
Ajayi Okasanmi, the Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in Kwara
confirmed the clash between the soldiers and drivers.
Okasanmi, however, said that the command was yet to
ascertain the number of casualties, both dead and injured adding that
investigation would be carried out to ascertain the true situation.
“The Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale
investigation into the crisis and we will communicate our findings very soon,”
he said.
The police spokesman stated that normalcy had been restored
to the area with the deployment of men of the state command.
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5 lives taken for less than 1 USA dollar
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