At least 20 unidentified angry youths on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 set a police patrol vehicle at Obehira area of Okene Local Government Area in Kogi State ablaze over an alleged death of an innocent man who was hit by a motorist fleeing from the police blockade.
A reliable source disclosed to newsmen in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi state, how the police patrol vehicle was pursuing a vehicle suspected to be conveying Indian Hemp along the Obehira road.
The eye witness added that in the process, the vehicle hit a passer by who fell into a ditch.
The source also revealed that the occupants of the vehicle escaped before the police could get to the scene.
He made allegations, stating that when the police arrived the scene, they felt unconcerned about the injured person, but were allegedly more interested only in impounding the vehicle conveying the illicit substance.
It was then that the youths became angered at the perceived police inhumanity.
The youths were reported to have demanded that the police ensure the victim was treated before taking the vehicle to police station.
Unfortunately, it was at this point that the disagreement degenerated into a face off.
The police escaped from the scenario with immediate effect to avoid the anger of the mob, abandoning their patrol vehicle and the one conveying the banned substance.
The source disclosed that the youths went on to burn two patrol vehicles.
The PPRO of the State command, Mr Collins Adebayo, when asked intimated that the driver had fled with speed on seeing the police and in the process had a burst tyre, which led to his hitting the pedestrian to death.
Adebayo stated that the driver of the vehicle escaped while the youth later attacked the vehicle in anger.
He further claimed that the police later arrived at the scene and made attempts to stop the mob from further vandalising the vehicle.
Finally, Adebayo said that normalcy has returned to the area as investigation are ongoing.
