Hoodlums destroy 15 BRT vehicles over hawker's death

ayodele johnson

June 30, 2016 1:48 PM

The street hawker who sells goggles according to reports, was trying to escape from KAI officers when he was hit by a sports utility vehicle.

BRT bus

Hoodlums have reportedly damaged fifteen vehicles at the Maryland axis of Ikorodu road, in protest over the death of a street hawker, Nnamdi John, who was killed by a Nissan Pathfinder and a trailer.

Punch reported that John was fleeing from some officials of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) monitoring group, when he met his death.

More reports say that the KAI officers has stopped at Maryland to continue a raid that had begun in Ojuelegba part of Lagos.

The deceased was killed following a hot pursuit by the monitoring team, after running into a coming vehicle.

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According to Folasade Aliyu, a motorist plying the road, John was hit by a sports utility before getting crush by a trailer.

Aliyu said, “The hawkers sighted the KAI officials and began to run away. The victim was first hit by a sport-utility vehicle before a trailer crushed him.

“The KAI officials were there to arrest traders and hawkers on the highway. They were pursuing the boy when he was hit by the SUV."

“Other hawkers and pedestrians became enraged. Some hoodlums joined the hawkers and pedestrians; they stopped an oncoming BRT and smashed its windscreens.”

A family member of the deceased, Ukamaka Okoli, told Punch that John started street hawking in January 2016 selling goggles.

“I just heard about what happened and that was why I rushed here. I was told the police had taken his corpse away.”

“He just started selling goggles in Janaury. He lived with one of our brothers in Ikorodu”, she said.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, said policemen from the Anthony division and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), were sent to the scene to ease the situation.

“The command received a report that the operatives of KAI were at Maryland on duty. While this was on, one of the hawkers ran into the path of a vehicle and was killed. This sparked some controversies and unrest.”

“Policemen from the Anthony division and the RRS were deployed to the area to restore order. Investigation is ongoing on the incident”, she said.

ayodele johnson