By Mick Oseji, Asaba
Commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators on Monday shut down parts of Asaba, Delta State, as they protested the killing of their colleague, Chinaza Sunday, during Saturday’s bloody political rally in the state capital.
The operators, under the Commercial Motorcycles and Tricycles Operators Association (COMTOA), marched from Summit Road to the Delta State Police Command headquarters, carrying placards and demanding the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the killing.
They also offered to provide video footage and other evidence to the police to help identify and prosecute the killers.
Speaking on behalf of the association, a member of its Board of Trustees, Prince Okeoghene Miller Kingsley, said the deceased was carrying out his legitimate business when he was killed during the violence.
He said the association was prepared to cooperate fully with investigators by providing relevant information, including video recordings and details of people allegedly connected with the incident.
“The young man that was murdered was at his duty post carrying out his legitimate duty, where he met his untimely death,” Kingsley said.
“We want to believe that we have confidence in the Nigerian Police that they will do justice to this issue and those persons should be brought to book.”
He dismissed any suggestion that the deceased was involved in criminal activities or political thuggery, insisting that commercial transport operators were engaged in legitimate businesses.
“Chinaza has not been an armed robber. He has not been a thug or a political thug. Everybody you are seeing here is going about our lawful duties. Nobody here is a thug,” he said.
The association’s representative also defended the political freedom of its members, saying they were entitled to support political parties and movements of their choice as long as they operated within the law.
“Everybody here has the right to belong to anybody he likes to belong to because there is freedom of association, which includes lawful assembly,” he added.
Responding to the protesters, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Administration, Philip Adejo, said the command had received their petition and would investigate the killing.
Adejo sympathised with the association and urged its members not to take the law into their hands, assuring them that the police would act on the matter.
“We have received your petition. Sometimes self-help can become a serious problem. We sympathise with you; go home and rest because you will see results. It is not going to be like other situations,” he said.
He urged the association’s leaders to meet with the police and provide any useful information that could assist the investigation.
“Your leaders can meet us, and if you have any strong information concerning this, you can come to us so that we can iron it out together,” Adejo added.
The protest followed a violent incident on Saturday, November 7, along Nnebisi Road, Asaba, during a procession organised by the Obidient/OK Movement in support of the Nigerian Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The incident reportedly left one person dead and five others injured.
The Delta State Police Command, through its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said it had received intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence before the procession.
The police said the organisers were invited to a security meeting and advised against holding an open street march but allegedly ignored the warning.
The state government also blamed the organisers for failing to heed the security advice, saying the confrontation could have been avoided if the procession had been moved to a designated venue where adequate security could be provided.
However, the Nigerian Democratic Congress rejected the explanations by the police and the state government, describing the incident as a deliberate attack on opposition supporters.
The party demanded an independent investigation, the arrest of those responsible and the public disclosure of the identities of the deceased and injured persons.
The police had earlier said the identities of the victims were yet to be established, while investigations into the incident were ongoing.
Monday’s protest brought fresh pressure on the police to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.
