There was confusion on Thursday in the Gudu area of the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja, after a yet-to-be-identified tricycle rider was burnt to
death in his tricycle.
It was learnt that the police were chasing the
victim when he had an accident.
It was gathered that the residents of the area and friends of the victim
began a protest until soldiers were deployed in the area to disperse the crowd.
An eyewitness, Bonario Nnags, said that the incident happened around
6.30am.
He said, “It was around 6.30am. The policemen, who were in a van, were
pursuing a keke NAPEP
(tricycle) rider. As he was riding very fast, he suddenly lost control of the
tricycle and the woman he was carrying fell out of the tricycle.
“Later, the tricycle somersaulted and caught fire almost immediately.
The impact of the accident must have prevented the rider from escaping. When
the police saw what had happened, they fled.”
He added that nobody could identify the victim as he was burnt beyond
recognition.
Nnags said the action infuriated passersby and other tricycle riders who
witnessed what had happened.
They were said to have trooped out on the street to protest against the
death.
It was learnt that soldiers and policemen were
mobilised to disperse the crowd, as they fired teargas canisters at the
protesters.
The corpse was said to have been evacuated from the road by the police.
But the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Anjuguri Manzah,
attributed the accident to over-speeding by the deceased rider.
Meanwhile, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, has ordered
a full scale investigation into the incident.
The CP in a statement advised motorists in the FCT to always exercise
restraint and observe speed limits to forestall avoidable accidents that could
lead to death.
The statement reads, “The FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu,
has enjoined commuters plying the roads within the Federal Capital Territory to
always exercise restraint and observe speed limits in order to forestall
avoidable accidents that could lead to injury, loss of lives and property.
“He stated this after an unfortunate lone accident involving a tricycle,
popularly called Keke NAPEP,
today at Gudu.
“The tricycle, which was on top speed, lost control, somersaulted and
then went up in flames.
“As a result, an individual believed to be the rider was burnt beyond
recognition.
“While regretting the unfortunate the incident, Inalegwu has ordered a
full-scale investigation into the matter.”
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Society