BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Benin City, Nigeria – Protest by tipper drivers over the killing of their colleague rocked Benin City, the Edo State capital in Southern part of Nigeria, Tuesday, January 18, 2022.
The protest left many commuters stranded and economic activities paralyzed for the several hours it lasted.
A trigger-happy operative of the Department of State Services, Edo State Command allegedly shot to death the tipper driver who volunteered to control traffic in front of the popular Tipper garage along Ikpoba-slope road, Benin City.
It was learnt that trouble began when a convoy of DSS operatives drove against the traffic to avoid traffic jam on their right way along the dual-carriage way.
“There was a hilux van blaring siren and driving one way… On sighting the hilux van, the tipper drivers controlling the traffic allowed the vehicle to move on because they were security operatives inside.
“After the hilux van, one other Audi car drove behind; and the drivers controlling the traffic attempted to accost it to use the right way; unknown to them that the car was also conveying plain-clothes operatives.
“And before a blink of eye, the DSS operatives opened fire which resulted in the death of a tipper driver.
“They (DSS) thereafter arrested three traffic control volunteers and also took the body of the deceased driver away,” an eye witness Osaghe stated.
Sporadic gunshots were said to have been heard at the DSS office in Benin City when the protesting drivers marched towards the facility.
Contacted, the spokesman for Edo State Police Command SP Kontongs Bello said no operative of the police command was involved in the unfortunate incident.
The Benin Command of security outfit is yet to issue official statement on the incident at press time.
