Christopher Oji
A tricycle rider was killed on Sunday by a motorist over right of way at the Surulere area of Lagos.
The motorist has been arrested by the police who are preparing a murder charge against him.
A witness, Bob Ojuola, said people pleaded with the two to maintain peace, but they wouldn’t listen until the argument snowballed into a fight.
“This was a minor thing that they would have resolved but they were abusing themselves as if they knew each other before.
“All efforts to calm them down or separate them were rebuffed as they abused themselves. Before we knew what was happening, the man in 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.
“He nearly crushed others people on his way. We tried to stop him, but knowing the gravity of the offence he committed, he was ready to crush anyone who stood on his way. Some people said we should not worry as they knew where he lives.
Lagos State police public relations officer, Bala Elkana, said: “On August 11, at about 21.30pm, Surulere Police Station received a distress call from Randle Hospital, Surulere, that a tricycle operator, Aniete Bassay, was brought to the hospital with a broken head, and in the pool of his own blood, but was dead 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 twice on the head before zooming off to an unknown destination.
He said after a thorough and painstaking examination of available information, 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, 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.
Elkana who advised members of the public to always control their anger, said the suspect would be charged to