Tension mount in Age-Mowo area of Badagry on Monday as a bus conductor was killed by suspected herdsmen over an accident which killed two strayed cows.
The commercial bus of the 30-year old conductor was said to have rammed into two strayed cows and killed them.
It was gathered that incident which happened at about 6:30a.m between in Age-Mowo and Agogo-Igbala in Badagry, caused serious pandemonium leaving commuters stranded.
It was learned that the driver of a J-Five commercial bus with registration number FKJ 756 XH was coming with speed from Mile 2 while the two cows suddenly crossed the expressway.
A bus driver Olatunji who spoke to our correspondent at the scene said the bus was coming from mile 2 when two cows crossed the road and the vehicle on it’s right of way suddenly rammed into the two cows killing them immediately.
Olatunji said as soon as the accident happened, their headers at Agbo-Malu began to chase the bus.
While the driver managed to escape unhurt, the bus conductor who was still on the bus could not run faster as he was caught by the headers.
“They removed his clothes and beat him till he became unconscious. When he became unconscious they left him unconscious thinking he was dead.
“The headers pounced on him again when he rose, moving toward Mowo Police station to seek refuge for the fear of being killed.”
“It was learned that when the headers noticed that the conductor was going to the station, they ran after him, and caught up with him a few meters to Mowo Police station where they eventually killed him.
However, events took a different turn when young men and women gathered to avenge the death of the conductor. The youths who were seeking justice refused to allow police to take the remains of the conductor to the mortuary until the arrival of Col. M A ABBA, the Commanding Officer of 243 Recce-Batallion Barracks.
The commanding officer appealed to the youths and members of the communities and assured them justice would be done over the killing.
He thereafter ordered that the corpse of the conductor be taken and deposited in General Hospital in Badagry for further investigation on the matter.
Lamenting a food vendor Sekinat Lateef who spoke to Vanguard said the fact that more than two Police checkpoints within the area the police did not help the matter when the headers attacked the bus conductor was killed said even though there is more than two police checkpoints within the area the police did not intervene. When they were lynching the conductor he was shouting for help but nobody came to his rescue. If people had helped, he would have survived, but we all watched till they killed him,”
It was gathered that the herders have been living peacefully with natives in Mowo community for over three decades.
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Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of Lagos state police Command SP Benjamin Hundeyin said a commercial vehicle ran into two cows this morning at Agemowo, Badagry, killing one of the cows. The two cattle herders attacked someone they mistook for the vehicle conductor, resulting in his death. Angry residents blocked the highway in protest of the killing.”
“The DPO, Morogbo Division, assisted by soldiers from 243 Recce Battalion, Badagry successfully cleared the obstruction. Normalcy has since returned to the area. It is entirely false that the victim was turned back when he sought refuge in the police station.”
“He did not make it off the accident scene, let alone reach the station. Meanwhile, the two herders have been arrested. The investigation is ongoing. Updates will be provided subsequently,” he said.
