BENIN CITY-The Police in Benin have commenced a manhunt for the fleeing commercial bus driver and his conductor who allegedly killed a passenger woman during an altercation over N20 change in Benin City, last weekend.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Edo State DSP Osifo Abiodun disclosed that the police command has intensified efforts at arresting the fleeing suspects.
“Efforts have been intensified with a view to arresting the culprit who is at large at the moment”. He stated.
The NIGERIAN OBSERVER investigations revealed that the Drivers Warfare Association, New Benin-Ugbowo axis is synergising with the police to ensure that the driver and his conductor are identified and made to face justice.
The Drivers Warfare Association Chairman in charge of the route Comrade Jude Anormhen told our reporters in New Benin that his union would not shield the suspects from justice.
He maintained that since the incident occurred at night when his members have closed for the day, identification of the suspects whose membership he expressed doubts, would be difficult for him.
Comrade Jude however advised motorists against engaging in undue arguments with drivers or their conductors maintaining that a wise man disengages from altercation when it takes a violent dimension.
It was gathered that the deceased Mrs Helen Ero, 51, a trader in New Benin market boarded a commercial bus popularly known as Tuketuke going to Oluku from New Benin market about 8pm, last Saturday.
She was said to have paid for two girls she met inside the bus as she gave the bus conductor N500.
It was further learnt that the bus conductor gave her N200 instead of N220 change insisting that a stop anywhere, was N100 per passenger.
The deceased was said to have told the conductor that her fare was N80 since she would stop at the University of Benin Ugbowo main gate while the two girls she paid for would stop at the final bus stop in Oluko.
The NIGERIAN OBSERVER learnt that an altercation that preceded the conductor’s refusal to add the N20 forced the driver to pull over by Technical College Road junction.
As the argument bubbled at the junction, the conductor allegedly engaged the woman dangerously as she collapsed on the spot while the conductor fled.
It was further learnt that the driver accompanied by the two girls rushed the woman to hospital where she was confirmed death.
Apparently realising the problems ahead, the driver was said to have deceived the two girls out of his vehicle, sped to new-Lagos Road by Eghosa Grammar School where he dumped her corpse and escaped.
