Pandemonium in Abeokuta as bullion van crushes motorcyclist to death

ABEOKUTA—

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.



Vanguard gathered that 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
despatched 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.

A source told Vanguard that 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.