Police shoot three over bribery

The driver of a commuter bus as well as the bus conductor and a passenger were today shot by police officers at a check-point along the Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway.

Eye witness accounts say that the victims were shot by the police-officers for refusing to give out an illegal toll collected from drivers along the highway. The driver and the bus conductor were shot as they came down from the bus while the passenger was shot in the bus.

One of the trio is reported to have died immediately while the others have been rushed to a hospital. The road is now gridlocked as a result with thousands of commuters having alighted from their vehicles and blocking traffic in both directions.

Tension is rising with tyres burnt as the protest grows.

Police bath citizens with paint

Cruelty: Nigerian Police bathe  excited youth with paints on independence day

A member of the Nigerian Police Force added  heartlessness  to the tragedy that followed the country’s 50th anniversary by splashing eight excited citizens with a bucket full of white paint.


One of the victims of the splash Tijani Joseph said the ugly incident happened just after the first explosion  which killed several people near the Eagle Square venue of the anniversary.

”We were standing outside trying to find our way into the Square when this police man assisted by a youth corper  told us to move away. We were about leaving when  suddenly the police officer threatened to splash us with  paint,” said Tijani.

Another victim, Saliu Usman said the police officer lifted  the bucket of white paint and splashed on the crowd  standing close to the barbed wires.

The victims said all their efforts to get first aid treatment  were futile as no one was ready to help them.

”They just keep sending us from one place to the other.  For over 3 hours we were there trying to get someone to take us to the hospital but they only gave us water to  wash our faces.” added Usman .

Speaking with african examiner, one of the coordinators  of series of ambulance buses at the venue who refused  to give her name said she would need approval from her supervisor before  any of the buses could take the  victims to the hospital .

She said her boss would be back and asked the victims  to hang around but for over an hour that our reporter  was at the scene, the supervisor never came.

Some of the victims who were obviously in pain vowed to take their case to court in order to seek justice.

AFRICANEXAMINER