A commercial tricycle operator lost his life on Tuesday following a confrontation involving police officers and tricycle riders in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The incident, which occurred around 5 p.m. at the Road Block area of the city, reportedly triggered widespread protests and disrupted vehicular movement in the area.
Eyewitnesses said the crisis began during a routine police patrol when an officer allegedly attempted to apprehend a tricycle rider. The move was said to have led to a collision involving two passenger-laden tricycles.
The development angered other operators, who gathered at the scene and blocked the road in protest, causing a traffic gridlock.
Residents said the situation later deteriorated when security operatives deployed teargas to disperse the protesters. Some demonstrators alleged that a police officer shot one of the tricycle operators, resulting in his death.
The protesters also accused some police personnel of regularly harassing and extorting tricycle operators, particularly during night-time operations, a situation they claimed had fueled repeated confrontations between both parties.
However, the Taraba State Police Command dismissed claims that its officers opened fire on protesters.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Victor Mshelizah, said the deceased was not shot by the police but was among those involved in the tricycle crash that occurred during the operation.
According to him, officers were carrying out a stop-and-search exercise when a tricycle rider allegedly attempted to evade security checks by driving against traffic, leading to a collision with another tricycle.
Mshelizah said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area confirmed that no shots were fired during the incident.
He added that two persons, a male and a female passenger who sustained severe injuries in the crash, were immediately taken to a hospital for medical attention.
The police spokesperson maintained that investigations into the incident were ongoing.
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