Killing of bus driver by cop: Uneasy calm in PH, Obio Akpor after protests

For the  better part of last Friday and Saturday  shops and offices  around the Whimpy junction part of the ever-busy Ikwerre road in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State,  were locked as protesters took over the road. The angry protesters were heard denouncing the brutal and mindless murder of a commercial bus driver, Mr David Legbaraa, by a trigger-happy policeman, Sergeant James Imhalu,allegedly over N100.

Some commercial bus drivers who spoke to Vanguard Metro, VM, used the opportunity to complain about what they termed incessant harassment and intimidation from policemen at the popular Whimpy junction. “The policemen controlling traffic here give us a lot of headache.

Sometimes you ask if they are here to control  traffic or to generate revenue from bus drivers, “ Uche, a bus driver, said.

Conflicting accounts

There have been conflicting accounts on what happened between Sergeant Imhalu and the slain bus driver that fateful Friday. Some eye witnesses alleged that the policeman demanded for N100 from the bus driver who was reluctant to part with it. His refusal was said to have prompted the policeman to open fire at the driver.

Another account has it that the policeman ordered the driver to park properly and the next thing they heard was a gunshot. “I heard the policeman told the driver to park well. I was trying to catch a bus going to Rumuokoro. So I did not really give much attention to what was happening between the driver and the policeman. But the next thing I heard was a gunshot. I ran for safety immediately,” a lady said.

The Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr Chris Ezike,  said he had ordered full scale investigation into the incident to unravel  what truly happened.

The sad incident grounded business and other activities in the area for the better part of Friday and Saturday. As soon as it was confirmed that Legbaraa, the bus driver, did not survive the gunshot  his colleagues withdrew their vehicles from the road. Protesters subsequently took over, denouncing the action of the police. They set burn fires, forcing motorists  to seek alternative routes to their destinations. The protest caused a heavy traffic gridlock that extended to NTA and the Rumuokoro end of the East-West roads. Some passengers had to alight from their vehicles to cover long distances on foot.  The Police were forced to fire canisters of tear gas in order to clear the road.

The following day, being Saturday, the protesters regrouped on the road, this time numbering over 2000. Appeal from the Police to them to leave the road fell on deaf ears. Some eyewitnesses said they smashed windscreen of several vehicles during the protests but this could not be confirmed by our reporter. “I heard some vehicles were destroyed around Mile 3 area. But here in Mile 4 no vehicle was damaged. We only took over the road, “ one of the protesters said.

Obviously overwhelmed by the crowd, Police appeared helpless to control the situation, thus allowing the protesters to run wild. Unconfirmed report said the widow of the deceased driver at a time went to Kala Police Station, located few metres  from where the killing occurred,  to lament the brutal murder of her husband. VM gathered that the lady is pregnant and due to deliver soon.

It took the intervention of Governor Nyesom Wike to calm the protesters on Saturday.  The Governor appealed to them to allow the law run its full course on the issue, assuring that the trigger-happy policeman will pay for his lawless act.

The state Police chief, Mr Ezike in a press statement after a meeting with the family of the deceased driver on Saturday condemned the action of the policeman, saying he had been arrested and would be tried accordingly.

For the full story, check the Vanguard Newspaper.