Police To Investigation Death Of NURTW Chairman in Kwara

THE Kwara state Police command may have commenced investigations into yesterday’s killing, at Ajasse-Ipo, of a member of the state’s chapter of National Union of Roads Transport Workers (NURTW), Akeem Laduba, said to have been hit by stray bullet from the riffles of a police officer during a heated argument.

But the Police Public Relations Officer in the state , an Assistant Superintendent of police, Ajayi Okasanmi, said the shot ,if traceable to the police, was not deliberate. He promised prompt police investigations into the matter. .

The sad incident was said to have occurred around 8am at Kilometre 43, Ilorin/Ajasse Ipo Highway. The incident made members to protest of the alleged killing of their member by a police officer .

The officer, who was part of a patrol team that mounted a road block at Ajasse-Ipo, allegedly fired a shot that killed the transporter, who until his death was the Kabba/Omu Aran/Igbaja NURTW Chairman.

Eyewitness accounts said that there was a sharp disagreement between the patrol team and a commercial motorcyclist popularly called “Okada rider”, while the NURTW man stopped to intervene, ostensibly, to save the motorcyclist.

It was learnt that the police officers were enraged by what they called “effrontery” of the deceased transport worker.

The NURTW man and the police officers were reportedly engaged in hot argument ,resulting in a free-for-all fight. It was in the process that one of the policemen fired a shot, which allegedly killed the man.

However, motorists stormed the highway on Saturday protesting the killing of their leader and disrupting vehicular movement along the highway.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Okasanmi Ajayi confirmed the incident, saying, the police officer did not intentionally kill the transport union leader, adding that it was the patrol team that took the deceased to hospital where he eventually died .