Riot in Lagos over killing of bus conductor

There was riot in some parts of Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos on Saturday.

Several people were injured as angry commercial bus drivers protested an alleged killing of a bus conductor by a policeman at Iyana Ipaja bus stop.

A mobile police officer had allegedly stabbed a bus conductor to death over a yet to be fully ascertained situation, a situation that sparked serious protest and attack on policemen in the area by commercial bus drivers around the Iyana Ipaja axis .

Heavy and sporadic shooting from policemen also paralysed commercial activities around Ile Epo and Iyana Ipaja bus stop as passengers were stranded along the Lagos/Abeokuta express road .

There are however conflicting reports on what led to the misunderstanding between the policeman and the slain bus conductor with a report claiming that the policeman had wanted to extort money from the conductor, while another has it that the slain conductor was arrested for picking the pockets of passengers around the area.

A source informed Sunday Tribune that the policeman was dragging the bus conductor to where his colleagues were sitting when the conductor struggled to set himself free and escape .

A hot exchange of words had reportedly ensued between the policeman and the deceased bus conductor, resulting in the policeman going for his dagger with which he stabbed the conductor to death .

The death of the conductor sparked instant and serious protest from his colleagues and commercial bus drivers, who went on rampage throwing stones at the policemen.

Some of the policemen on seeing the situation flee the scene of the incident, while the remaining few policemen went for their arms and shot sporadically into the air to scare away the protesting drivers.

The gun shots from the policemen compounded the whole situation as it alerted other commercial bus drivers to the scene of the incident, a situation that resulted into serious riot that spread to Ile Epo bus stop and other neighbouring communities.

The riot also led to economic and social activities around Iyana Ipaja being totally paralysed as the angry commercial bus drivers vehemently stood against the police team that shot for more than three hours.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/news/5348-riot-in-lagos-over-killing-of-bus-conductor

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