Tragedy struck on Wednesday when a bus been driven by a woman knocked down and killed a commercial motorcycle rider in Akure, the Ono state capital.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident resulted in a protest by other commercial motorcycle riders who blocked the major road, leading to a gridlock in the area. In the process, the angry motorcycle riders were alleged to have made an attempt to mob the woman who knocked down their colleague. They were, however, stopped by a policeman attached to a filling station not far from where the accident occurred.
Things took a different turn when the policeman arrived and was about to rescue the woman, as the mob also turned to him with the intention of attacking him. To set himself free from any attack, the police officer fired some shots into the air. Sadly, the bullets mistakenly killed another commercial motorcyclist and a passenger.
Spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, who confirmed the incident said the angry protesters later attacked the policeman who escaped from the scene with severe wounds.
“It was a road accident in which a woman driving a car hit and killed a commercial motorcyclist. Then a crowd gathered at the scene and was trying to mob the woman,” said Odunlami.
“The policeman then approached the scene to disperse the crowd and rescue the woman, but the angry crowd mobbed him. It was while he was trying to rescue himself that he shot into the air and incidentally, he misfired.” DSP Odunlami said
The protesters had set a bonfire on the major highway before the arrival of a team of policemen attached to the Division A Police Headquarters in the city. The officers were able to pacify the protesters and douse the tension while normalcy was restored in the area.