The Enugu State police command has explained what led to the shooting that claimed two lives along the Enugu-Onitsha highway on Friday.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Nkeiruka Nwode, the command said the refusal of a driver of a Toyota Camry to stop when flagged down by police officers led to a chase which ended in the shooting.
The police alleged that the driver, who was later stopped at a junction was found to be in possession of 15 bags of Indian Hemp.
The command did not, however, explain what led to the shooting as the statement did not indicate whether the driver, who was shot dead, was armed or not.
The command said the second victim was a boy attached to a trailer who jumped to his death when he sighted a rampaging mob who had gathered to protest the incident.
The police said officers involved had been detained while investigations were ongoing.
The statement read in part: “Following the shooting incident and the disturbance of peace at the Tarzan junction along the popular Enugu-Onitsha expressway on Friday, October 20, 2017. The police command wishes to set the record straight.
“At about 800hours of 20/10/2017, a police patrol team on stop and search duties stopped the driver of a suspected Camry vehicle for a routine check. However, the driver failed to stop as directed.
He was chased by the police team from Dennis Memorial Grammer school, (DMGS) Onitcha and subsequently accosted at Tarzan junction, Nkpor as a result of the traffic build-up.”
In the bid to search the vehicle properly, a melee ensued and the driver was shot by the police. Unfortunately, the driver died on the spot.”
“A thorough search of the vehicle revealed 15 bags of weeds suspected to be Indian Hemp,” the statement said.
Further detail about the nature of confrontation that resulted in the death of the unnamed driver was however not given by the command.
According to the statement, ‘the death of the driver resulted in an angry mob who set ablaze a security pick-up van that was seen approaching the junction. The driver of the van escaped unhurt. Some miscreants unaware of the true facts behind the incident took advantage of it and gathered up for mob action.
“Sadly a motor boy on an approaching trailer vehicle on sighting the angry mob jumped down from the trailer and lost his life on the spot. He was reported to have been crushed to death by a hit-and-run vehicle.
“The command wishes to warn against spreading false rumours to heat up the polity as the incident has no connection with any political party,” the statement said.
Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
