Residents of Uwa Street by First East Circular Road Junction, Benin City in Edo state were thrown into pandemonium on Tuesday, when a middle-aged driver beat a Police Corporal, Osas Agbonmwenma to death.
According to PM News report, the corporal met his death when a police patrol team car had stopped the driver who was driving a vehicle without a number plate but he refused to stop and in an attempt to force him to obey them, the deceased and his colleagues had engaged the driver in a fight.
As the fight raged on, the heavy-set driver was said to have grabbed Osas tightly by the neck.
Other policemen tried to help free their colleague from the tight grip but this proved abortive as the driver refused to let go but held on till the corporal passed out.
Meanwhile, another version of the story revealed that the policemen had succeeded in arresting the driver and as he was being taken to the police station, he diverted the vehicle to a different place. The Corporal attempted to forcefully stop him around St. Maria Goretti Grammar School area where the driver allegedly hit him on the forehead with an object.
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He was said to have collapsed and later rushed to a hospital where he died.
Before his untimely death, Osas was serving at St. Saviour Police Division, Benin.
Confirming the incident, the Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Noble Uwoh, said the driver has been arrested while the car was in police custody.
He added that investigation was ongoing.
This is not the first time a a law enforcement agent would be assaulted by a civilian. Motorists and area boys had on Monday, June 16 beat up an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority at the Ogolonto area, Ikorodu in Lagos.
Also in June, two policemen who had gone to arrest alleged fraudster at the Mechanic Village, Tombia, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State were instead beaten and detained by the fraudsters who resisted arrest.