A staff of the University of Benin was killed and someone else was harmed when a driver, allegedly trying to avoid police extortion, rammed into them.
Dr. Stella Okotie kicked the bucket on Tuesday, July 21, because of the mishap that occurred in Benin City at about 6:30pm along the ever-bustling Benin-Lagos freeway, near the UNIBEN main gate.
Until her demise, the deceased was a lecturer at the UNIBEN faculty of Education.
There are unverified reports that someone else was murdered in the mishap. Another additionally supported wounds.
Observers guarantee the transport driver was running away from the police officers who had earlier flagged his vehicle down, demanding N100 bribe.
One of the officials was said to have hopped into the moving transport and occupied with a physical battle with the transport driver, hauling the directing wheel.
The late UNIBEN staff was purportedly standing at the walkway alongside her husband, Dr. Williams Okotie, also a staff of UNIBEN, and her son when the bus hit her and a stationery UNIBEN water supply van.
“The police officers were pursuing a commercial bus in quest for money leading to a physical struggle between one of the officers and driver of the vehicle,” an eyewitness told CAMPUS GIST.
“While the police was struggling the steering wheel with the driver, the bus ram into Dr. Okotie who was standing on the walkway just by the side of her vehicle killing her on the spot.”
Following the incident, the police fled the scene abandoning one of their partner who was beaten by an irate crowd.
Consequently, residents and passersby barricaded the ever-busy New Lagos road right in front of the UNIBEN Ugbowo main gate, causing heavy traffic gridlock for hours.
The UNIBEN medical students are embarking on a solidarity protest on Wednesday, July 22, over the killing of Dr. Stella Okotie, the mother of their former colleague.
A statement issued by Comr. Goodluck Eghosa Osemwenkhae, Director of Information, Media and Publicity, on behalf of the union, said the protest would cover the police headquarters and the Edo state government house.
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