The Bayelsa State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps was on Wednesday thrown into grief after its official, Mr. Bassey Inoyo, was allegedly tortured to death by policemen.
It was learnt that Inoyo, a senior FRSC official, was due to proceed on retirement leave in November.
An eyewitness told PUNCH that trouble started on Tuesday morning when a police officer from Special Anti-Robbery Squard Unit felt aggrieved over the conduct of a road safety official.
He said, “The road safety official who is serving in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state was blocked by a car. He was waiting for the car to be driven out before driving in. In the process, he temporarily blocked the narrow road.
“But the police officer who was in mufti hooted his horn many times signaling the road safety officer to clear the road for him to pass. Eventually, the road safety man drove in and parked but already the police officer in mufti was aggrieved. He came down from his vehicle and descended on the road safety official.”
The source alleged that the policeman tore the FRSC official’s rank and his uniform and then engaged him in a fight.
Some road safety officials were said to have rushed to the scene to assist their colleagues and in the process, the policeman, who drove in a private car was injured.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “The police officer phoned his office and complained that road safety officials were about to kill him.
“About eight SARS operatives went to the road safety office with guns and were shooting as if there was a civil war. They were also beating everybody they saw there to the extent that road safety men started pulling off their uniforms and running away. They fired teargas too.”
The source added that Inoyo an elderly man, was apprehended by the policemen.
“The elderly man, the one that died today, could not run like others. They beat him until he fell down. They were stepping on his head with their boots. The head, the nose, the mouth, were all bleeding.
“They were beating him with the butt of the gun. When he fell down, they were dragging him on the ground like an animals SARS office. He died this morning. This is the height of callousness. I have never seen this type of thing before. This was an eyesore. The man they killed is due for retirement. He was supposed to retire February next year.” he said.
A source said the Commissioner of Police, Chris Olakpe visited the office of the road safety and held a meeting with the sector commander.
When contacted, Olakpe, said the matter which occurred barely a month after the case of a prisons inspector, allegedly killed by policemen had been resolved amicably between the two sister agencies.
Punch