Angry Trucks drivers yesterday razed down two banks and stoned to death a policeman at Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos, over the killing of a truck driver.
According to an eyewitness, the policeman had ordered the truck driver to re-park his truck which was blocking the Diamond Bank branch along the Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. But the driver argued that he had no other place to park.
This generated an argument between the driver and the policeman who pulled the trigger and shot the driver in the head who died instantly.
When the policeman saw that the driver had died, he started shooting sporadically to scare the angry mob who were now surging forward to revenge their colleague’s death. When the policeman ran out of bullet, he was said to have run inside the Diamond Bank premises.
But the mob had followed him inside the bank, pulled him out and set the bank ablaze. While the mob was stoning the policeman, he was said to have escaped and ran into a Sterling Bank branch along the road.
However, he was not very lucky as they also got hold of him, stoned him to death and burnt down the bank prompting other banks and business activities in the neighborhood to close.
It was further gathered that the colleagues of the late driver, who later learnt about the incident, mobilized and stormed the Diamond Bank and Sterling Bank premises, setting them ablaze.
Many scampered for safety as police shot sporadically in the air to disperse other truck drivers protesting the death of their colleague.
The development created panic in the Liverpool/Creek Road area of the chaotic port city as other banks and traders on the road closed shop.
Confirming the incident, chairman, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi said that the situation had been brought under control and the police are on top of it. According to him, I have told my members to calm down because they cannot use a wrong to correct wrong,” he said.
But the Lagos State Police Rapid Response Squad on its official Facebook page said what led to the fracas was a minor argument. They were, however, silent on the death of the truck driver.
“The truck boys, numbering about hundred were reported to have chased the officer from the Creek Road branch of Sterling Bank before burning it down.
The entire area was cordoned off by heavily-armed policemen from Alausa, Ikeja and a man was seen removing the debris and some documents from the banks. The two dead bodies had been deposited in the mortuary and blood was seen littered around the place.
In a statement, Chief Marketing Officer, Brand Manager, and Communications Group, Sterling Bank, Mr. Henry Bassey, admitted its banking operation on Creek Road, Apapa, was disrupted yesterday following the killing of a truck driver by a policeman. It said the branch reception area was vandalized and set ablaze.
He, however, assured its customers to access its normal services at nearby branches and through its electronic channels.
We wish to inform all our customers that normal services will continue at nearby branches and through all our electronic channels. Sterling Bank is working with security agencies to resolve the issue,” the statement said.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the situation on phone, said the crisis has been brought under control.
Also, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), BEECROFT, Commodore Maurice Eno, said operatives from the base were deployed to the area to put an end to the crisis.
