Confusion enveloped Ajasse, Kwara State, on Saturday as members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers stormed the Ilorin-Ajasse Ipo highway to protest against the killing of NURTW Chairman for Kabba/Omu Aran/Igbaja area of the state, Mr. Akeem Laduba.
The highway is a busy route to Abuja, Kogi State, Ekiti State, Osogbo in Osun State and other parts of the country.
An eyewitness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told journalists that trouble started when an unnamed police officer, who was part of a patrol team that mounted a road block at Ajasse, allegedly shot Laduba on Friday.
He added that Laduba pleaded for a commercial motorcyclist, popularly ‘okada rider,’ following a disagreement between the patrol team and the okada rider.
The source said the police officers were allegedly enraged by what they perceived as Laduba’s ‘effrontery,’ leading to an escalation of the disagreement.
The source added that the altercation degenerated, during which one of the policemen shot at and killed the NURTW chairman.
The injured transporter was said to have died at an undisclosed hospital where he was rushed to.
Following the information of Laduba’s death, the aggrieved NURTW members on Saturday stormed the Ajase-Ipo highway and disrupted vehicular movement along the highway to protest against the killing of the chairman.
Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the protest.
He, however, said the police officer did not intentionally shot at and killed the NURTW chairman.
Okesanmi added that the patrol team also rushed the victim to the hospital before he unfortunately died.
