LIKE most teenagers, Mr. Friday Igwe dreamed of the day he would gain admission into a Nigerian university. The thought of financial independence, which he would enjoy upon graduation, excited him. Even though life was tough, he was hopeful that he could make it. He toiled day and night as a commercial tricycle rider on the mean streets of Warri, Delta State, to make ends meet and secure a better life.
He was a prospective candidate in the recently concluded UTME, which held April 12th across the country, but that was not to be as he was clubbed to death on February 10th in broad day light allegedly by members of the task force of the Delta State Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Union, Uwvie Chapter.
Friday Igwe, according to his cousin, was working as a commercial motorcyclist so he could save enough money to further his University education.
Lamenting the death of his cousin, Samson Alli, a 28-year-old commercial motorcycle rider, who claimed he witnessed the gruesome murder of his cousin, said the deceased left P.T.I taxi rank at PTI junction conveying, commuters to Effurun Roundabout.
According to him, shortly afterwards, he also headed to Effurun Roundabout where he saw his cousin allegedly being beaten by 15 boys over his failure to renew his commercial motorcycle’s identity card.
He said the failure of his brother to pay the N5, 000 fine imposed by the task force provoked the fatal beatings. He said when he tried to intervene, he was hit with a club and dealt some slaps.
He said the deceased was beaten to a state of pulp, following which he collapsed and died. He expressed apprehensions over his own safety as the suspected culprits kept on threatening his life.
His words: “On the 10th February at about 3.00pm, my brother comot with passengers from P.T.I park after some time; when my keke full with passengers, so I follow my brother, but when I reach Effurun Roundabout I see crowd gather around someone wey dem dey beat; when I look well, I see say na my brother task force people dey beat with big big stick.
“But task force no listen to me as I beg dem reach. After dem leave my brother for ground, dem say na epilepsy dey worry am, but before we carry reach hospital, my brother don die. So I go Ebrumede police station go complain. So police come arrest three people, but police don free the people and everyday dem say dem go kill me”.
Continuing, he said: “Everyday, task force no dey let me rest. Dem dey beat me and threaten me. I no know wetin to do now, but make government help me for dat my brother wey dey mortuary”.
But Friday Igwe’s death has sparked outrage among the civil rights community in Warri following accusations of an attempt by the Delta Command Police Command to shield the alleged perpetrators of the crime.
In a petition to the IGP made available to The Nation, the Coordinator, the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence (FJHD), Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, accused the police Homicide Department of compromising the investigation.
He said: “In view of the way and manner the above matter was investigated by the said team of policemen, our client has no confidence in the same as it is evident that the police team compromised the investigation”.
Ikimi accused the Delta State Police Command of conducting a post-mortem examination on the deceased by a pathologist sponsored by the suspects without the knowledge of the relatives of the deceased.
The Delta State Police Public Relations Officers, Tina Kalu, said she was not aware of any petition against the police, saying she would find out and get to our correspondent.
The Delta State Transport Commissioner, Hon. Ben Igbakpa, however, rejected accusations that the state government is supporting any association of tricycle operators instigating violence in any guise.
He urged aggrieved unions to work for peace. His words: “Government is not involved in any form of collection of levies. Levy collection has been outlawed in Delta State since the inception of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s regime.
“Any group of persons claiming to be working for government is not telling the truth. We want to shore up our IGR, but the action of the union members can never be sanctioned by government. We have not empowered any association to collect any levy on our behalf.
“I have tried to bring all the unions together, including the national commercial tricycle riders and owners associations, since I came into office. I’m appealing to them. I have been discussing with their lawyers to see if they can withdraw their case from the Court of Arbitration in Calabar.”
