It was bedlam Wednesday evening by Igueomo Junction in Benin City, along the Benin/Asaba Road, when a stray bullet allegedly fired from a Police gun hit and killed an Hausa resident in the area.
What followed the unexpected killing was total chaos, as motorists and people trekking on the highway struggled to escape the ensuing machete and stick-wielding kinsmen of the victim who were on a hot chase of the policemen to avenge the death of their brother.
The yet-to-be-identified victim, was said to have been hit by a stray bullet in front of the house of a POS operator where he had gone to wire ₦4000 to his wife in his home village.
It was learnt that police operatives had gone to the area to arrest some hoodlums, when in the process, a stray bullet reportedly hit the victim.
“Some Benin boys had an issue with the police. Some policemen stormed the area and in the process of chasing the boys, they fired their guns at the fleeing boys and the bullet hit the victim and he died on the spot.
“The victim was said to have just transferred the sum of ₦4000 to the wife. When he heard of the commotion outside, it was said that he decided to run for cover, only to be hit by the stray bullet.
“Being that the entire area is dominantly populated by Hausa indigenes, they came out in large numbers, blocked the road in protest. They even vandalised some police vehicles that passed the area this (Friday) morning”, a source narrated.
The Irate youths later erected barricades and set bonfires on the highway and ensured that no one had access to either side of the road.
This impromptu blockade left commuters stranded, with passengers forced to disembark from buses arriving from both the Asaba and Benin City directions.
When contacted, the Edo Police Command spokesman, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident and said investigation was on to identify those involved in the operation.
At the time of filing this report, normalcy had returned to the area.
Source: Daily Sun
