TheCable

Residents of Kajola community in Odigbo LGA of Ondo state, on Sunday, invaded the police station in the area to protest the circumstances surrounding the death of three persons — including a traditional ruler.

The residents accused officers of causing the accident which led to the death of David Olowofeyekun, Gbenga Abayomi and Kola Akinduro, the traditional ruler of Korede village.

The accident was said to have happened along the Lagos-Benin expressway on Saturday evening.

The residents, on Sunday, stormed the station and threatened to destroy the building.

One of the residents claimed that a motorcycle conveying the deceased ran into a vehicle trying to evade officers at an illegal checkpoint in the area.

The residents of Kajola also dumped the corpses at the police station, and chanted songs to protest against the death of the three persons.

Meanwhile, Funmilayo Odunlami, spokesperson of the Ondo police command, who confirmed the accident, said police officers were not responsible.

“The death of the victims was not caused by the police as being circulated. They died as a result of flouting traffic rules,” NAN quoted her as saying.

“The deceased were riding a motorcycle with no headlamp on a one-way route and had a head-on collision with a speeding vehicle. They have died now and are not able to tell the story.

“Youths should find a way of registering their grievances. Lynching police officers or burning down police station at every slightest opportunity is barbaric.

“Police are there to protect them, while there are several emergency numbers through which they can report issues to the police headquarters. They should not take laws into their hands.”

The development comes months after Oyeyemi Oyediran, Ondo commissioner of police, had ordered the immediate dismantling of illegal road blocks and checkpoints on the Ore-Benin expressway.