tricycle unionists beat member to death over expired ticket

SOME members of the Motorcycle and
Tricycle Union, Uvwie chapter, in Delta State have
allegedly beaten a 24‑year‑old commercial tricycle
operator from Ebonyi State, Friday Igwe, to death at
Effurun community, near Warri. Five of
the 15 suspects, reported to be officials of the union’s task
force, who carried out the act supposedly on the
orders of their leaders, have been arrested by the
Police from the Ebrumede Police Division in the
state. The suspects were said to have on February 10, in
Effurun, pounced on the tricycle operator, a school
certificate holder and prospective Joint Admissions
and Matriculation Board, JAMB, student, who hailed
from Amoffia Ngbo, Ohaukwu Local Government
Area, Ebonyi State. There was no answer from the Delta State Police
spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu, when Vanguard
called him severally on phone, yesterday, for
comment on the incident. However, counsel to the Igwe family, Oghenejabor
Ikimi, told Vanguard: “The deceased was plying his
trade in Effurun when he was accosted by members
of the task force, who menacingly demanded from
him, both his daily welfare ticket and his Delta State
Motorcycle and Tricycle Union identity card, while carrying out the directives of the executives of the
Uvwie chapter. “We were further informed by an eye witness and
relation of the deceased, Stephen Ali, that upon the
deceased producing his welfare ticket for the day and
his identity card, the said task force alleged that the
identity card had expired. “In the process, the deceased was dispossessed of
his tricycle and in the melee that ensued, he was
clubbed to death by members of the said task force,
numbering 15.”

Vanguard