Tension heightened in the coastal town of Badagry on Monday over an alleged killing of a 30-year-old yet-to-be identified commercial bus conductor by herdsmen, for crushing two cows in Age-Mowo area, Lagos.
A knowledgeable source disclosed to newsmen that the incident occurred around 6:30a.m at Age-Mowo and Agogo-Igbala in Badagry, Lagos.
According to the source, 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.
“Unknowingly, the driver of the commercial bus hit the cows and they went unconscious immediately.
“Immediately, from their Agbo-Malu area where the Fulani herdsmen were living, three of them came out and started pursuing the driver of the bus.
“The driver managed to escape unhurt while the bus conductor who was still in the bus was caught by the herdsmen.
“He was brought out of the bus by the herdsmen, he managed to escape but he could not run much when he was caught by them.
“The conductor was beating mercilessly by the herdsmen who first removed his clothes.
“They left him unconscious believing that he has given up the ghost, but few minutes later, he rose up and rushing to the nearest Police station in Mowo to hide for the fear of being killed.
“Noticing that the conductor is going to the station, they ran after him and met at about 5 meters to Mowo Police station where he was beaten to death.
“No weapon was however used to hit him,” he said.
Newsmen, who monitored the situation observed heavy presence of soldiers from the 243 Recce-Batallion Barracks, Ibereko, Badagry, officials of Department of State Security and Nigeria Police and Neighborhood officers in the area.
Traditional chiefs, young men and women also gathered at the area, wanting to revenge the death of the conductor.
Mrs Sekinat Lateef, a food vendor at the scene where the bus conductor was allegedly killed, lamented that the police could not help despite mounting more than two check points within the area.
Lateef said: “When they (herdmen) beating him here, he was shouting for help but nobody comes out, even the police at the check points did not help matters.
“If he had seen people to help him, he might survive, but we were all watching until they killed him,”
She added that the people had been living with herdsmen in Mowo area for over three decades, adding that they (herdsmen) were very cooperative.
“We don’t know what came over them. We have been living in harmony for years back but it is as if some Fulani from other countries have joined them and they are misbehaving now.
“This is very said,” she said.
Meanwhile, youths in Badagry who are seeking for justice refused to allow Police to take the remains of the conductor to mortuary until the arrival of Col. M A ABBA, the Commanding Officer of 243 Recce-Batallion Barracks.
The commanding officer appealed to the youth and members of the communities, assuring them that justice would be done over the killing.
He ordered that the corpse of the conductor be taken and deposited in General Hospital in Badagry for further investigation on the matter.
The police had arrested two of the herdsmen that allegedly killed the conductor and took them to Mowo Police station for further investigation.
Contacted, the Spokesman for Lagos State Police Command, Supol Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that a person was killed by the herdsmen in Mowo.
Hundeyin said the Police had arrested two herdsmen that killed the bus conductor.
He said the case would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, for more investigation.
