FROM IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Edo State Police Command, Friday, confirmed the arrest of four officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, for their alleged involvement in the manhandling and subsequent death of a bolt driver, Mr Henry Osewenkhai.
The deceased was said to have taken a passenger to a popular hotel located off Limit Road on Sapele Road in Benin City on Tuesday, where he had an altercation with some unidentified youths, including officers of the NSCDC.
An eye witness, Festus Nwabuzor, during a peaceful protest to the secretariat of the Edo State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, said their colleague was beaten up and molested by some power drunk NSCDC officials after he dropped off a passenger who booked his service to the hotel.
Nwabuzor, who lamented the ignoble role of the four NSCDC officers, said the bolt driver was about driving out of the hotel when he suddenly got stopped by some suspected Yahoo boys lurking around the car park of the hotel, and accused him of almost hitting them.
While a heated argument ensued between the driver and the boys, it was gathered that they contacted some NSCDC officers who hurriedly moved to the hotel and joined the youths to beat up the driver.
AljazirahNigeria gathered that the operatives were providing security for the hotel when the incident occurred.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Moses Yamu, who confirmed the incident to newsmen via telephone, said the victim made a formal complaint at the command after the incident.
Yamu expressed shock when he heard that the victim had passed away due to the internal injuries sustained from the beating.
The PPRO added that four officers of the NSCDC are currently in its custody over the matter and assured the family of the victim and the public of proper investigation into the driver’s death.
