Christopher Oji

 

A tricycle rider has been killed by a motorist over right of way in Surulere area of Lagos.

The motorist has been arrested by the police who are preparing a murder charge on him.

A witness, Bob Ojuola, said people pleaded with the two to maintain peace, but they wouldn’t listen until the argument snowballed in a fight. “It was a minor thing that they could have resolved, but they were abusing themselves as if they knew themselves before. All efforts to calm them down or separate them were rebuffed as they continued abusing themselves. Before we knew what was happening, the man with an SUV ran to his car, took a wheel spanner and hit the tricycle driver on the head. The man fell down and the driver who was claiming that he had no way to pass, zoomed off in his car.

“He nearly crushed others people, we tried to stop him, but knowing the gravity of the offence he committed, he was ready to crush anyone who stood in his way. Well, some people said we should not worry as they knew where he was living.

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Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana said:  “On  August 11, at about 21:30hours, Surulere police station received a distress call from Randle Hospital Surulere, that  Aniete Bassay, a tricycle operator was brought to the hospital with a broken head and in a pool of his own blood; he died on arrival.”

He said the police received information that the deceased and a motorist driving a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) had a misunderstanding on a major road along Akerele Street, Surulere, by Falolu.

He said during the scuffle, the driver of the SUV brought out a wheel spanner from his car and hit the deceased person twice on the head and the driver immediately zoomed off to an unknown destination.

He said after a thorough and painstaking examination of available traces, the driver was identified as Christian, 39, of James Robertson Street Surulere by the police and he was arrested by a team of detectives led by the divisional police officer of Surulere police station, CSP Jimoh Jabaje.

According to Elkana, the suspect   confessed to have engaged the deceased in a fight over the right of way. “That there was a vulgar abuse between him and the keke rider over who between  them have the right of way as they both accused each other of rough driving and the argument led to the death of Bassay.”

Elkana who advised members of the public to always control their anger, said the suspect would be charged to court.