A tricycle rider was reportedly k!lled during a clash between police officers and commercial tricycle operators in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The incident occurred around 5:00 pm on Tuesday, June 16, at the Road Block area of the city.
According to reports, a police patrol operation was underway when a police officer reportedly jumped out of a patrol vehicle in an attempt to arrest a tricycle operator. This resulted in an accident involving two tricycles carrying passengers, DailyTrust reports.
The incident angered tricycle operators, who gathered at the scene and blocked the road in protest, causing a major disruption to traffic.
Residents told the publication that the protest later escalated after police officers fired teargas to disperse the crowd.
Some protesters alleged that a police officer shot one of the operators, resulting in his de@th.
They also claimed that tricycle operators and police personnel had experienced recurring disagreements, particularly over alleged extortion during night operations.
However, the Taraba State Police Command denied the allegation that officers opened fire on protesters.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah, said the deceased was one of the tricycle operators involved in the accident and not a victim of police shooting.
He said officers were conducting a stop-and-search operation when a tricycle rider, on sighting the police, drove into the wrong lane in an attempt to evade the checkpoint and collided with another tricycle.
Mshelizah added that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area also confirmed that no shots were fired.
He said two victims, a man and a woman who sustained serious injuries in the accident, were rushed to the hospital for treatment.