By Kelvin Utebor
WARRI: Angry mob in Uvwie Local Government Council Area of Delta State has allegedly set ablaze a police van belonging to the Ebrumede Division over the death of a woman and her child.
THE UNION NIGERIA learnt that the incident happened on Wednesday morning in PTI, Uvwie local government area, near Warri Delta state.
Sources said that the, “Police of Ebrumede Division allegedly chasing some internet fraud star popularly known as Yahoo Yahoo boys, then hit a runing tricycle also known as keke nape with a woman and child inside.
“The woman and her child died on the spot. The situation led to angry mob in the area setting the police van ablaze.”
Another source claimed that, “a tipper truck reportedly ran into a moving tricycle, that the incident occurred near the popular PTI Junction axis of the East-West Road at about 1:30pm.
“The driver of the sand-laden truck drove into the tricycle as he tried to evade a Police van which was chasing the vehicle of some suspected internet fraudsters.
“The tricycle, popularly known as Keke Napep was reportedly making a U-turn, when it was hit.
“The rider of the Keke Napep and another passenger, a woman, reportedly escaped but sustained injuries.
“The deceased woman appeared to have been breastfeeding her child inside the tricycle when the ugly incident took place.
The sources claimed the deceased mother is a native of Agbarho community in Ughelli North council area of the state.
It was reportedly, further gathered that soldiers around the vicinity rescued the security operatives from angry sympathizers and helped douse rising tension in the area.
“Sympathizers who rushed to the accident scene in a bid to salvage the situation, had threatened to burn down the Police van, with shouts of not wanting to see policemen in the area anymore.”
When contacted for comment, the state police public relations officer PPRO DSP Onome Ovnowakpoyeya confirmed the incident to our correspondent.
She said, “we are aware that a woman and her child died, but we are yet to know what happened” PPRO said.
On his part, while commenting on the incident in a statement available to our correspondent in Warri, a right activist Comrade Israel Joe said that, “It is too early for the police to start engaging in certain activities that led us into the recent #EndSars protest across Nigeria and the world.
It is a pity and an innocent woman and her child has lost their lives to the activities of incompetence and insecurity. The state governor has promised to create a security and human rights committee in addition to the present Judicial Panel of Inquiry and we believe such a committee would take care of these issues, bring those involved to book and compensate victims of police and military brutality.
We are right now accessing the situation and if something tangible is not done another protest looms”
