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By Isaac Anumihe
Irate mob yesterday razed down two banks and stoned to death a policeman at Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos, over the killing of a truck driver.
According to an eyewitness, the policeman had ordered the truck driver to re-park his truck which was blocking the Diamond Bank branch along the Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos. But the driver argued that he had no other place to park.
This generated an argument between the driver and the policeman who pulled the trigger and shot the driver in the head. He died instantly.
When the policeman saw that the driver had died, he started shooting sporadically to scare the angry mob who were now surging forward to revenge their colleague’s death. When the policeman ran out of bullet, he was said to have run inside the Diamond Bank premises.
But the mob had followed him inside the bank, pulled him out and set the bank ablaze. While the mob was stoning the policeman, he was said to have escaped and ran into a Sterling Bank branch along the road.
However, he was not very lucky as they also got hold of him, stoned him to death and burnt down the bank prompting other banks and business activities in the neighbourhood to close.
Another eyewitness told Daily Sun that the ugly incident started when the truck driver wanted to park close to the Diamond Bank premises, but was prevented from doing so by one of the policemen guarding the bank.
An argument was said to have ensued between a yet-to-be-identified police officer and a truck driver over plan by the deceased truck driver to park close to the bank, which led to the shooting of the driver by the policeman.
It was further gathered that the colleagues of the late driver, who later learnt about the incident, mobilised and stormed the Diamond Bank and Sterling Bank premises, setting them ablaze.
Many scampered for safety as police shot sporadically in the air to disperse other truck drivers protesting the death of their colleague.
The development created panic in the Liverpool/Creek Road area of the chaotic port city as other banks and traders on the road closed shop.
Confirming the incident, chairman, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi told Daily Sun that the situation had been brought under control.
“The situation is under control and the police are on top of it. I have told my members to calm down because they cannot use wrong to correct wrong,” he said.
But the Lagos State Police Rapid Response Squad on its official Facebook page said what led to the fracas was a minor argument. They were, however, silent on the death of the truck driver.
The post reads: “Truck boys on Creek Road, Apapa burnt down Sterling Bank branch over an alleged misunderstanding with a mobile police officer in the area.
“The truck boys, numbering about hundred were reported to have chased the officer from the Creek Road branch of Sterling Bank before burning it down.
Yet, another eyewitness said: “A policeman shot dead a trailer driver who parked in front of Diamond Bank on Creek Road early this morning. The policeman ran into Sterling Bank seeking refuge with the mobile unit attached to the bank. The angry mob then set a car within Sterling Bank’s premises on fire and the fire spread to the building housing the bank.
“It’s the Sterling Bank that was set on fire. Staff of Folawiyo could only put out the fire after security operatives came on ground to provide support,” he said.
When Daily Sun arrived the scene, the entire area was condoned off by heavily-armed policemen from Alausa, Ikeja and a man was seen removing the debris and some documents from the banks.
However, the two bodies had been deposited in the mortuary and blood was seen littered around the place.
In a statement, Chief Marketing Officer, Brand Manager and Communications Group, Sterling Bank, Mr Henry Bassey, admitted its banking operation on Creek Road, Apapa, was disrupted yesterday following the killing of a truck driver by a policeman. It said the branch reception area was vandalised and set ablaze.
It, however, assured its customers to access its normal services at nearby branches and through its electronic channels.
“An armed mobile policeman fleeing from an irate mob after shooting a tanker driver disrupted banking operations at the Sterling Bank branch on Creek Road this morning as he ran into the premises of the bank to escape being lynched.
Security operatives attached to the bank disarmed and arrested the fleeing mobile policeman, but did not hand him over to the irate mob. The mob got upset and attacked the bank with the intention of unleashing mayhem on staff and customers. The branch’s reception area was vandalised and set ablaze.
The security operatives attached to the branch prevented the mob from entering the branch while evacuating staff and customers before the arrival of police reinforcement. The branch has been temporarily shut down.
We wish to inform all our customers that normal services will continue at nearby branches and through all our electronic channels. Sterling Bank is working with security agencies to resolve the issue,” the statement said.
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai owoseni, who confirmed the situation on phone, said the crisis has been brought under control.
He said no bank was destroyed and that armed policemen were on guard in the area to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
Also, the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), BEECROFT, Commodore Maurice Eno, said operatives from the base were deployed to the area to put an end to the crisis.
