Tragedy struck last Tuesday at Itori in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, when an official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers allegedly pummeled a commercial cab driver, Jimoh Akanbi, to death over non-payment of a ticket fee of N700.
The NURTW official, simply identified as Idowu, was said to have suddenly pounced on Akanbi, allegedly beating him to death, following an earlier disagreement over the driver’s refusal to pay the mandatory ticket fee.
Our correspondent gathered that Akanbi, who had just replaced the old engine in his vehicle with a new one, had decided to test-run it when Idowu allegedly attacked him and demanded that he paid the ticket fee, a request which the driver refused.
A resident of the area, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, but pleaded anonymity, said that Idowu dealt several blows on the driver, who collapsed, fainted and gave up the ghost on his way to the hospital last Tuesday evening.
He explained further that immediately Akanbi dropped dead, the NURTW official took to his heels with his family in tow, to an unknown destination to escape being caught for the alleged crime.
Already, the police in Itori have launched a manhunt for the runaway suspect.
Following the incident, commercial vehicle drivers in the area took to the street to protest the death of their colleague.
It was also learnt that the police in Itori had nabbed Idowu’s boss, identified as Agbeni, who facilitated his escape.
The wife of the deceased, Morenikeji Akanbi, lamented the death of her husband.
Amid tears, Morenikeji said that she was told that her husband fell at Arigbajo market and defecated on his body, before he gave up the ghost at the hospital.
She said “My husband and I have been married for 15 years. I am only left with one child after I have lost three out of the four children I had for him. I was at Arigbajo market, when they said that my husband fell down and began to defecate on his body. He was later taken to the hospital near the Itori Police Station, where he gave up the ghost.
When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said that he was not aware of the incident.
Oyeyemi, an assistant superintendent of police, however, promised that thorough investigation would be carried out on
the matter.
