Policeman ‘kills’ driver over N200 bribe in Bayelsa

Tamarauemi Ebimini

A policeman in Bayelsa State has killed a driver identified as Benalayefa Bako Asiayei, over his alleged refusal to give N200 bribe.

The incident happened along Azikoro road in Yenagoa, the state capital.

Death of the driver has attracted condemnation from the public and human rights groups.

The trigger-happy cop, who is attached to the police special patrol team in the state Operation Doo Akpo’ is yet to be identified as at the time of filling the report.

The late Asiayei, who is said to be 40 year-old and father of three was an electrician who used his car for commercial purposes in the evening to get additional income for his family needs.

Reports gathered revealed that the deceased hailed from Ayakoromo Bobougbene community in Burutu Local Government Area but was resident in Yenagoa.

He was shot dead in his Sienna car while picking up a passenger.

According to some residents, the police patrol team along the road stopped him and demanded N200, as their usual collection package from motorists which he said he did ot have at the moment.

It was learnt that while he was trying to explain to them that he only carried one passenger, one of the policemen fired him.

It was at the scene that the deceased’s in-law who saw the crowd identified him in a pool of blood while the police van reportedly escaped.

The corpse was immediately taken to the Government House, Yenagoa, and later on, the police took the dead body to the Federal Medical Centre Mortuary in Yenagoa.

When contacted, the police spokesman in Bayelsa State, ASP Musa Muhammed, said he would issued statement on the matter later on Thursday.