A mob has killed a 43-year-old taxi
driver, Tunde Adetola, for allegedly beating up an epileptic patient,
Friday Williams, in the
Onipanu area of Lagos State.
The incident happened on Awe Crescent.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the
taxi driver had visited a drinking joint on Sunday and there was a
disagreement between him and the daughter of the owner of the joint.
Williams was said to have intervened, which started a fight between him and the deceased.
The epileptic patient was reportedly injured during the brawl.
Our correspondent learnt that some of Williams’ friends and street urchins decided to avenge the beating.
They reportedly swooped on Adetola, bashing him to death.
Our correspondent learnt that policemen
from the Onipanu division took Adetola’s corpse to a morgue and arrested
Williams and one of his friends, Lucky Nnaeto.
Speaking with our correspondent,
Williams, who hails from Imo State, denied instigating the mob attack,
adding that he had settled the disagreement with the deceased before he
was killed.
He said, “It happened on Sunday at a popular joint, where we usually have fun. Taxi drivers also come there to enjoy themselves.
“I arrived there around 8am. The taxi
driver also arrived and saw a food hawker. He asked the girl to serve
him food and she did.
“The daughter of the owner of the shop
was lying on a table, and Adetola ordered her to stand up so he could
sit and eat, but she ignored him.
“The man felt insulted and subsequently
abused the girl, who also replied him. So, I decided to intervene and
asked him to get another table.
“He began to insult me. He slapped me and boxed me in the mouth. We fought, but he overpowered me.”
Williams said he left the spot and as he approached his house, he met Nneato, a friend in the area.
Nnaeto, a motorcycle rider, told our
correspondent that he initially thought Williams sustained the injuries
during the course of an epileptic seizure.
He said, “I saw blood in his mouth and
body and asked him if he had had his seizure again, but he said he was
beaten up by a taxi driver.
“I was angry and when I saw the driver, I
confronted him for attacking a sick man. I told him to apologise and
pay for his treatment or else I would deflate the tyres of his cab.
“The driver called him and they discussed. He gave Williams N500 to treat himself and they settled.
“I left them and mounted my motorcycle and left the area.”
Our correspondent learnt that some other
friends saw Williams injuries and after he narrated what had happened
to him, they decided to revenge the attack.
The mob, consisting of tricycle riders and street urchins, reportedly descended on the victim and pummelled him to death.
They were said to have fled the scene before policemen got to the spot.
The Police Public Relations Officer,
Kenneth Nwosu, said he would get back to our correspondent, but he had
yet to do so as of press time.
However, a source said the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Source:Punch Newspaper.
No comments:
Post a Comment