By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has called on anyone in the state with relevant information concerning the alleged killing of a tricycle operator at Itam market in Uyo metropolis on Sunday evening, to bring it to the police for investigation.
Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Odiko MacDon made the call in Uyo on behalf of the police command in the state.
MacDon, who spoke to our Correspondent in Uyo on the incident on Tuesday, said that the command headquarters in the state has not received any report relating to the alleged killing by a Hausa truck driver.
“I am not aware of any incident of killing at Itam market, the command is not aware too, the Itam Divisional Police Station has not reported it, however, it calls for investigation.
“The command therefore, has called on members of the public with useful information on the incident to bring it to us for investigation.” SP MacDon said.
It would be recalled that on Sunday evening, a tricycle operator was said to have been stabbed to death by a Hausa truck driver at the popular Itam Market after a heated argument over obstruction of the major access road into the market.
It was gathered that trouble started when the truck driver trying to negotiate space to park for easy off-loading of the rice meant for the Yuletide season, was obstructed by a tricycle operator and tables used by traders to display their wares, forcing a traffic snarl.
Angered by the stubborn resolve not to clear the road, the Hausa truck driver was said to have emerged from his loaded truck with a machete, with which he dealt a cut on the head of the deceased, who later died of exhaustion due to excess blood loss before getting to the hospital.
An eye witness, Akan Bassey, told newsmen that the incident happened at about 7:00pm and lasted for about an hour before Police operatives arrived to restore calm.
He explained: “The truck driver was angry because of refusal by the tricycle operator and business owners to clear their wares on the road for the truck to be properly parked for the rice to be off-loaded. When he alighted from the truck to try and clear the road met stiff resistance, he brought out his matchet and in the process, cut the tricycle man on the head.”
It was further learnt the outrage that followed led to looting of the rice and torching of the truck by hoodlums, leaving dozens of other victims injured, while the whereabouts of the driver remain
unknown at the time of filling this report.
Meanwhile, part of the market where incident happened has been cordoned off and taken over by operatives drafted from the nearby Itam Divisional Police station, even as the fire combatants from the state Fire Service have been able to contain the inferno and saved the truck from being completely burnt.
However, worried by the anticipated reprisal, the Alhaji Alhassan Sadauki, leader of the Hausa/Fulani community, has sued for peace and appealed to the law enforcement agencies to be pro-active and diligent in containing the crisis from snowballing into a full-scale ethnic war.
“We are appealing for calm, while urging security operatives to be diligent in their investigations.” Said Sadauki, who led a delegation of the Hausa/ Fulani community leaders to a truce meeting with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Itam, at the time of filling this report.
