Officials Beat Commercial Driver To Death Over N500

A J5 commercial bus driver was allegedly beaten to death on Tuesday for not paying N500 to Produce Officials
on time, causing pandemonium at the Lokoja end of the Abuja/Lokoja Expressway.

Eyewitness reports revealed that the Produce Officials pounced on the driver for not bringing out the money on time and continued to beat the man even after he had become unconscious.

It was also alleged that the driver was stabbed. The situation quickly escalated as other truck drivers, angered by the killing of their colleague, blocked the highway and insisted on seeing the State Governor.

The incident caused a gridlock as motorists travelling to other parts of the country could not do so for several hours.

The Kogi State Police Command, while confirming the incident said its personnel had been dispatched to restore law and order in the area.

William Aya, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, told reporters on the phone that the J5 bus driver was stopped by the produce officials and asked to pay the statutory N500, but along the line, they had an altercation which led to the death of the driver as he was stabbed and died on the spot.

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This, the PPRO said, infuriated other commercial drivers, who blocked the highway, leading to the gridlock.

The state Commissioner of Police, Ede Ayuba, reportedly summoned the warring parties and the family of the victim to a meeting in his office, where he appealed for calm.

Aya added that the remains of the victim had been buried by his family and that some of those involved in the fracas have been arrested, while the area has been cleared and free flow of traffic restored.