Killing of okada rider over N50 bribe: Day of rage in Abakiliki

Last Thursday, tension enveloped Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, over the killing of a motorcyclist, popularly called okada rider, by a policeman for refusing to give him N50 ‘bribe’. EGWUAGHA AMARACHUKWU reports
Tension in its wake The gruesome killing of Offim Ejike, a motorcyclists, by a police sergeant, Onyebuchi Nweke attached to Anti kidnapping squad last Wednesday night had on Thursday morning generated unimaginable fuss and tension in Abakaliki, capital city of Ebonyi state, in its wake.
Deceased, trader turned okada rider The deceased, Ejike, was a native of Igbeagu in Amachi, Abakaliki local government area of the state, was a resident of No. 32 Linus Nwede, and a trader turned commercial motorcycle operator before he met his untimely death. Blueprint gathered that Ejike was allegedly shot by the trigger-happy police officer when he refused to comply with the stop and search order by the police along Water Works Road by 7pmon that illfated Wednesday and was allegedly shot after a heated argument with the police over the N50 bribe they demanded.
Eyewitness An eyewitness disclosed that immediately Ejike’s face was pelted with bullets by the police, the sergeant who shot him disappeared from the scene of the incident, while okada riders who were rushing home at that night besieged the area and commenced protest.
They burnt tires to express their grievances. Another eye witness, Ude Amadi, narrated how people attempted to save the deceased but felt. “We were around ANAN world when we heard a gun shot. Another thing we could hear from the AK personnel blockading the road was, let’s go let’s go. When we came out, we saw a boy lying on the ground in a pool of blood while his motorcycles was lying beside him.
“The boy was carrying a lady when the incident happened. Already, the AK officer had left, leaving the boy there. Some people who gathered started fetching water from the nearby bridge and starting pouring on the boy to know if we could revive him before we discovered he had died. “The owner of the supermarket where the AK officers blockade to harass passerby had begged them several times to stop staying there but they refused until this incident.
“When we went there, the lady he was carrying was standing close to him(Ejike) when we went there, we saw him in the pool of his blood. Passersby tried to revive him by pouring water on him, but they discovered he was dead” According to Paul Akachukwu, another eyewitness, when she came to work early that day, she saw a lot of policemen dispersing the okada riders. “When I was coming to work this morning, I saw many policemen here, trying to disperse crowd.
They were stopping okada people, beating and impounding their bikes. I was told that okada man was shot by police around 7pm in the night. “The okada guy was said to have been shot on the face, such that if you don’t know him very well, you may not be able to identity him. The okada riders was like they want justice and were moving in group to protest the killing of their colleague.
So the policemen were clamping down on every okada rider they saw including the once who did not know anybody was killed. “They shot gun and teargas cannisters sporadically to scare the okada riders. Many of the okada riders were injured and their bike damaged by the policemen. Many of the okada riders were arrested and their motorcycles impounded”, she Feature said. Aggrieved protesters clash with police The protest extended into the next day as the aggrieved motorcycle operators thronged through different streets and strategic junctions of the capital city burning tires in protest of the death of one of their own, but they were also hounded by the police who scared them with tear-gas canisters. When Blueprint visited the scene of the riot, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Umahi Dr Kenneth Ugbala, and his team were already there to calm the situation. Ugbala who latter addressed okada riders along side his colleague, Mr Peter Oba, Special Adviser to Umahi on Transport encouraged the commuters to go about their lawful duty, while they promised to ensure that those arrested by police would be released with their motorcycles.
“We have been on this matter since last night till this morning, we re not happy that an Okadaman was killed. If an Ebonyi man will not fell free in his land were else will he be free. The governor has orders that the police officer be arrested and dismissed. And police has immediately carried out the order. I’m assuring you that the officer will not go Scott free.
He also advised executives of the union to articulate all their problems, names of those that were arrested and those whose motorcycles were taken away to his office while he will ensure their release.
Okada union The state Chairman Motorcycle riders union Hon. Polinus Attam said the okada people are not happy, an okada man was arrested by 7.00pm and detained till 7.30pm for them to say that he was riding okada at night but because of 30 naira or 50 naira argument a police man short our member and killed him.
Okada riders’ ordeal Also Francis Oroke, an okadaman whose motor cycle was seized by police yesterday, said he was not aware of the happening in the state but was on his lawful duty along Water Works Road when the police stop him and started beaten him up after which they took away his byce.
“As I came out to work this morning not knowing that something happened at night,I saw tiers been burnt around Mr Biggs kitchen when I asked I was told that an okadaman was killed by police for me to go out the police people stopped me, collected my bike and alleged that I was among those rioting. When I pleaded with them that I don’t know what was happening they started beating me with the head of their gun”.
A tour around the area showed that the popular Water Works Road that led to the scene of the event was at a time deserted. Both commercial and social activities were also paralysed as the police also continued to attack any cyclist suspected to be an okada rider. Some of them were also arrested even as their bikes were impounded. Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Loveth Odah, told journalists in Abakaliki that the Command was not happy with the development, added the sergeant that shot the okada rider was dismissed after being tried departmentally.
Police explains “She disclosed that the continuous arrest of the protesting okada riders was to quell the situation. She said that a police inspector was rushed to the hospital after being stoned by the embittered okada riders on the head. She added that a traffic warden was also injured in the melee. “It is very unfortunate. We do not expect it. The police sergeant is somewhere now. We do not sweep complaints from members of the public under the carpet.
The sergeant has been dismissed. He was tried departmentally and will arranged in court tomorrow. We are trying to build the reputation of the police. “The public should calm down. We are not happy with the development and the sergeant cannot give excuse. The police will never cover any indiscipline under Titus Lamorde”, she assured.
Umahi appeals for calm Meanwhile, Governor David Umahi has ordered for immediate arrest of the policeman attached to the Ebonyi State Anti- Kidnap Squad over the death of a commercial motorcycle operator, popularly known as Okada in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital. The Governor who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor described the incident as barbaric and callous and expressed confidence that justice will be He said the incident has further called for more dedication, commitment and professional training for the country’s security personnel to stop further killings of innocent Nigerians on the line of their duties and assured that he would take up the matter to the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the trigger happy policeman who shot and killed the boy is punished in line with the rule of his engagement. Expressing condolences to the family of the deceased, Governor Umahi promised to visit the family when information concerning his family is made available. He called on the members of the public to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands.