Commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators in Delta State have offered to provide video footage and other relevant information to assist the police in identifying and prosecuting those responsible for the killing of their colleague, Chinaza Sunday, during political violence in Asaba.
The operators, under the Commercial Motorcycles and Tricycles Operators Association (COMTOA), made the offer on Monday, November 9, during a protest at the Delta State Police Command headquarters, where they demanded justice for the deceased.
The association identified Chinaza as one of its members who was allegedly killed while carrying out his commercial transport business during Saturday’s violent incident along Nnebisi Road, Asaba.
Speaking on behalf of the association, a member of its Board of Trustees, Prince Okeoghene Miller Kingsley, said the deceased was at his duty post when the incident occurred.
He insisted that the association wanted those responsible for the killing identified and brought to justice, expressing confidence in the ability of the police to conduct a thorough investigation.
Kingsley also pledged the association’s cooperation, saying its members were prepared to provide video recordings, relevant information and details of individuals who could assist investigators in reconstructing what happened.
He rejected suggestions that Chinaza or other commercial transport operators involved in the protest were criminals or political thugs, insisting that they were engaged in legitimate businesses.
According to him, commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators have the constitutional right to associate with political parties and movements of their choice, provided they conduct themselves within the law.
Responding to the protesters, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Administration, Philip Adejo, acknowledged receipt of their petition and assured them that the command would investigate the killing.
Adejo sympathised with the association and urged its leadership to avoid taking the law into its own hands, stressing that credible information should be made available to the police to support the investigation.
He encouraged the operators to work directly with the command, assuring them that the matter would receive attention.
The protest followed violence that erupted on Saturday, November 7, along Nnebisi Road in Asaba during a procession organised by the Obidient/OK Movement in support of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The Delta State Police Command confirmed that one person was killed and five others sustained injuries during the incident, which occurred at about 12:15 p.m.
In its initial statement, the police said it had received intelligence indicating the possibility of violence ahead of the procession and consequently invited the organisers to a security meeting. The command maintained that the organisers were advised against holding an open-road procession and encouraged to use a designated venue where adequate security could be provided.
The police said the organisers proceeded with the procession despite the advice, adding that an investigation had commenced to establish the circumstances surrounding the violence and identify those responsible.
However, the NDC rejected the police and government explanations, describing the incident as an attack on opposition supporters and demanding an independent investigation into the violence.
The Delta State Government also condemned the incident and called for a thorough investigation and prosecution of anyone found culpable. The APC Campaign Council in the state equally condemned the violence.
Although the police initially said the identities of the deceased and injured persons had not been established, COMTOA has now identified the deceased as Chinaza Sunday, whom it described as a member of its association.
The offer by the transport operators to provide video evidence could provide investigators with additional material to establish how the violence unfolded, identify individuals involved and determine responsibility for the fatal incident.
As calls for accountability continue to grow, the police investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding Chinaza’s death and ensure that anyone found responsible faces the law, irrespective of political affiliation.
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