Dayo Johnson
2 December 2008
NO fewer than five people including a pastor were reportedly killed in Idanre, Ondo State, as police in the town allegedly opened fire on a mob protesting the death of a woman whose death was allegedly caused by policemen at a check-point.
However, uneasy calm pervades the town following the incidents which had attracted wide condemnations while a self-imposed curfew has taken over the town.
Vanguard gathered that the incident occurred last Friday when some mobile policemen at a check-point in the Yaba area of Idanre were said to have stopped the driver of a 911 trailer conveying banana who did not obey the order.
The pastor, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was said to be riding on a motorcycle when he was reportedly hit by a stray bullet fired by one of the policemen to disperse protesting okada riders in the town.
An eyewitness told newsmen that one of the policemen shot at the tyres of the trailer which made him lose control, knocked down a commercial motorcycle killing a female passenger instantly.
The development angered other okada riders and residents who mobilised by dumping the corpse of the lady at the police station in the town.
It was further learnt that the policemen reportedly fired into the protesters. In the melee, five people were said to have been killed.
A medical doctor said only two persons died while one of the protesters was hit by a bullet from the police. He said the injured person is still on the danger list at a hospital where he was rushed to for treatment.
Meanwhile, the police have denied any involvement in the deaths.
The police image-maker, Mr. Adeniran Aremu, said the divisional police officer in the town only said that a vehicle ran on a commercial motorcyclist and killed his passenger.
Aremu, who denied that the police opened fire on the protester said that the incident was "a pure case of accident and not police brutality."
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