Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
There was pandemonium in Lokoja the Kogi State capital yesterday as government officials saddled with collection of tolls from lorries beat a J5 bus driver to death.
The pandemonium that broke out after the killing caused serious traffic gridlock along Abuja/Lokoja highway as motorists were stranded for over seven hours .
A witness told our correspondent that the officials pounced on the driver for delaying to pay the 500 toll on time.
The witness said the officials who were drunk had continued to beat the driver until he gave up the ghost, adding, “even one of the officials brought out a knife and stabbed the lifeless body of the driver, making sure that he died”.
This was said to have angered other drivers especially the trailer drivers who use their vehicles to block the highway insisting that they would not leave until they see the state governor.
Kogi state police Command said that officers have been dispatched to restore law and order to the area.
Kogi state police public relations officer, William Aya ,told our correspondent on phone that, a J5 bus driver was stopped by the produce officials and asked to pay the statutory N500, but along the line they had issues with the driver which led to altercation and in the process, the driver was stabbed to death .
According to Aya, the action infuriated other commercial drivers who blocked the highway wirh their vehivles causing gridlocks.
He said that the state commissioner of police, Ede Ayuba, mediated with the produce officials and the aggrieved drivers and the family of the victim which later brought calm to the area.
He also disclosed that the victim has been buried by his family
According to him, some people have been arrested in connection with death of the driver .