Police, Itobe Residents Clash Over Death Of Tricycle Operator

Angry residents of Itobe community in Ofu local government area of Kogi State yesterday burnt police patrol vans in the area over the death of a commercial tricycle operator, Abuh Wada, popularly known as Abuh Keke.

He was allegedly shot by a police officer while trying to quell a crisis in the in Abuja Area of Itobe around 11:00am yesterday.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that Abuh Keke was coming out of his house when a stray bullet hit him.

The crisis was reported to have started following a feud between two warring groups in the area.

A witness, Umar Etu, said the crisis started when a police patrol team that came in to quell the situation shot and killed a resident.

He added that angry residents stormed the police station and set two police patrol vans on fire.

“The mob was almost setting the police station on fire after they overpowered the policemen in the station, if not for the prompt arrival of the area commander,” he said.

All efforts to contact the state police command’s spokesman, SP William Ovye Aya, for a comment proved abortive.