A 30-year-old commercial bus driver in Kaduna has killed himself leaving a note in which he said he decided to end his life over alleged police extortion.
Sunday Igwe took insecticide when he could not bear incessant police arrest and extortions, his suicide note revealed. Sunday was hired as a commercial bus driver by a man he named Henry in his letter.
In the note he said police arrested him on several occasions over alleged traffic offences but each time he was arrested, police demanded money from him.
A driver who would not want to be named said before Sunday took his life on Sunday; police officers in Sabon Tasha arrested him and detained his bus. They requested for N2, 000 from him to release the bus which he paid. Another group of police officers arrested him at Taiwo road over wrong parking two hours later and demanded for N2,000.
“He could not afford the money the officers demanded and left to inform the bus owner. The owner of the bus told him not to worry as they still stand a chance to collect the bus on Monday but he proceeded to his room located at No 27 school road Nasarawa in Kaduna South Local government, wrote the shocking note and took a local liquid insecticide popularly called Ota pia-pia that led to his death.”
A photocopy of the suicide note obtained by Daily Trust reads: “Please Ozo, tell my Oga Henry to go and look out for his bus at the Police station. Tell him that am sorry for everything I have cost him let him forgive me. It is not my forth (fault). That is the way things should go. Let them look for my conductor so that they can go together to biel (bail) his bus and let them tell the police people what happened.
“After crying explend (explaining) everything to them but all their (they) need is money and I don’t have it let them come and take my cops and relies (release) someone bus for him. Anyway I have nothing against them and let them read this too. Thanks you Oga Henry bye.”
When our correspondent visited Igwe’s room, it was still emitting the smell of insecticides.
Chairman of Nasarawa branch, Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Kaura Abdullahi told Daily Trust that his Financial Secretary informed him on Sunday that one of their drivers was arrested by the police at Command Junction and collected N2,000 from him over wrong parking.
Journalists gathered that Sunday stayed for years without a job before he was employed as a bus driver.
His body was later deposited at Dr Gwamna Awan General Hospital and hospital officials could not speak to our correspondent but said Sunday was Brought-In-Dead (BID).
When contacted, Kaduna police spokesman Aminu Lawan said they were investigating the matter.
“From what we have gathered, he was arrested because of road obstruction and the police officers demanded him to produce his papers and drivers license which he said he will bring. He left and did not return. We have the letter they said he wrote and its only investigation that will revealed whether he was the one that wrote it,” Lawan said.
On the allegation that the police received money from him while another group demanded N2,000 Lawan said they will investigate and ensure that culprits are brought to book.