Police Chase Ends With Driver Getting Burnt | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Thursday 30 June 2011

Police Chase Ends With Driver Getting Burnt

A 35-year-old man, Ogbona Stephen, was almost burnt to death yesterday morning when policemen in Abuja reportedly shot at his vehicle in an attempt to arrest him for plying the wrong route.

The tricycle burst into flames and Mr. Stephen ran out of the vehicle, his whole body ablaze eye witnesses report. Many people took to their heels at the sight, but a few stripped leaves from trees which they used to smother the driver’s flaming body. According to the witnesses, the good samaritans then apparently laid him on the side of the road near the fence of the Anglican Girls Grammar School, Abdulsalami Abubakar way and covered his naked body with more leaves. Many people taught he was dead hurried past, but one man apparently took the trouble of checking and confirmed that he was still breathing and therefore alive.

Shortly afterwards, a vehicle came from the National Hospital to convey the horribly burnt man to the hospital where he was placed in the intensive care unit. Colleagues of Mr Stephen from the Keke Napep Forum retrieved one of the heels of his shoe which had fallen off while his body was on fire and placed it on a rod and proceeded to protest on Abdulsalami way, causing a serious traffic jam. It took dozens of heavily armed policemen about half an hour to dislodge the protesters.

Moshood Jimoh, spokesman of the FCT police command has denied that the police shot at Mr. Stephen. “Nobody shot at anybody,’’ he said. ‘‘ There is an order that Keke Napep should not ply on any highways or ring road in Abuja. The guy was running away from law enforcement agents when his vehicle somersaulted and caught fire,” Mr. Jomoh insisted.
The divisional police officer of Garki Police Station where the tricyle is being kept, Tony Olofu also denied guns were involved.

However, many witnesses claimed to have heard at least two gun shots around 10am that morning near the Apo legislators quarters where the incident took place.
One of the protesters, who gave his name as Malachy Anorue, said the police shot at both the front and back tires of Mr Stephen’s vehicle, leading to the fire.
“We insist that the police take full responsibility for the man and his family until he is well enough to resume work,” he said. Mr Stephen, whose wife recently gave birth to their fourth child, reportedly began his transport business two years ago.

Members of Keke Napep union who spoke to NEXT insisted that this tragedy is the culmination of months of harassment of tricycle drivers by policemen.
One of them, Obinna (he refused to give his last name), said he was recently pursued by policemen through two of the suburbs of the FCT, Gudu and Durumi.
“I ran into a mechanic workshop and parked my vehicle and ran to hide. When I returned, they had broken my battery carriage and removed the battery. They also destroyed my keyhole,” he said.
Mr Anorue said since January, the police have been harassing drivers of Keke Napep no end and blamed the executives of his union for incompetence.

“Police came in large numbers with VIO officials last Thursday around 3pm to harass us. Their disturbance, which began at the beginning of the year, stopped in March. But they said our officials met with them and they were told about the routes which we should now take. But our own officials never told us anything about that meeting,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Stephens remains in a critical condition at the national hospital in Abuja. Mr Jimoh says the police has decided to foot all of Mr. Stephens’ medical bills but this is only for ‘ humanitarian purposes.’

Source: 234next

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Linda, have you seen Amber Rose's nude pics online? pics were released online today!

Anonymous said...

the pics have been online for days!very graphic, like I said once a stripper always a stripper!

Anonymous said...

Poor guy, I do hope he learnt a lesson from this event. Nigerians need to begin to see the consequences of their actions could cost others their lives. These guys that ride these tricycles are something else. The drive one way on abuja roads that are already so dangerous.But Nigerian police, why shoot at him?!!! Wish him speed recovery though.

Anonymous said...

please send links to see the pics

Anonymous said...

nawa oh serious matter is on ground and someone is talking about amber rose naked pics..abeg who cares??
As for the people that rushed that guy to the hospital,they did well and God would bless them. I just hope the Nigerian police own up to their mistake and the policeman that fired the shots is dismissed!!

Anonymous said...

please send links to see the pics

ALEX.WONDERFUL said...

Two wrongs CAN NEVER make a right. is there no other way the Nigerian police can apprehend him except shooting at him? d other day, i watched as a policeman ran after an okada man carrying a passenger and hitting him severally while he was in motion b/c he took one way in his bid to avoid d policeman extorting moni from him as its their norm evening at dat bus stop. am sori to say this but AM LOOKING FORWARD TO D DAY A TRAILER WILL LOOSE CONTROL AND FINISH ALL OF THEM AT THAT BUS STOP for causing trafic there everyday thereby making people like me to get down from the bus and trek home after d day's hard work and stress. hisssssssssssss

hot N cold said...

Oh yea let's talk about the nude stripper and leave this boring story about Police and an almost burnt man. What can be more pressing? Show us the pics please! Shame people shame! *sigh*

nich said...

haven't i told you people that the greatest nigerian who has ever lived in nigeria is MALLAM NUHU RIBADU......he is the only MESSIAH that has ever graced nigeria since it's begginning..........THE ONLY MAN WHO WOULD HAVE DESTROYED EVIL WITH EVIL

if you people think that there is hope for africa......again think twice......................EXCEPT THERE IS A TOTAL BLOOD BIRTH as never see b4 in human history takes place in nigeria........

More that %80 0t the nation would still be enslaved forever..........

While i may conclude that all hope is lost.........there is still only one man left who could offer some help.......But it would only be temporal.........GOVERNOR FASHOLA OF LAGOS STATE.........if our churches.....nollywood .......musicians......youths can come with one voice and declare fashola the president by next election........

then there would be a little change but still after he is gone ........nigeria would still fall back into abyss

Anonymous said...

The bullet shells from the bullet will still be at the crash site, if anyone wants to pursue this matter further. That should match the gun from which it was fired and then we can have a case against the police.
Also there should be a case against the NAPEP guy if they are witnesses to corroborate the traffic violation.

creme said...

idiots..thats all they know how to do..chase keke and fire their guns accidentally.

Anonymous said...

stupid people,dey r supposed to b handling d bomb blast nt chasing tricycle riders.

oscar said...

@ ninch.... you may be correct but people will not believe you because they don't like truth. I prefer Fashola and Mallam Ribadu combined and Nigerian problem will be over.....

Now linda where is Amber Rose nude pics Her shakara dont too much. we want to see what she has under her pants.... As for police and the keke man that violated traffic regulation am not interested. If the Man die na him loose, nothing go happen to those Police officers.

Lisa said...

Nigerian Law Enforcement Officers need to be retrained and continually if we are to move from this stupidity. Firing without cause by an officer is a punishable offence. As for the nay sayers and Ribadu followers, you are entitled to your opinion but do not force it down others.

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