Motorcyclists in Delta State Demand Justice for Colleague Killed During Rally

Members of the Commercial Motorcycles and Tricycles Operators Association (COMTOA) protested in Asaba on Monday. They were upset over the killing of their colleague during political violence on Saturday. The violence involved supporters of the Obidient Movement.

The protesters marched from Summit Road to the Delta State Police Command headquarters. They carried placards and called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the death of their member, Chinaza Sunday.

At the police headquarters, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Philip Adejo, spoke to the protesters. He promised that the police would investigate the incident and ensure justice. He urged the operators to stay calm and not take the law into their hands. He assured them that their petition had been received.

"We have received your petition. Sometimes self-help can become a serious problem. We sympathise with you; go home and rest because you will see results. It is not going to be like other situations," Adejo said.

He encouraged the leaders of the association to meet with the police and give any useful information that could help the investigation. "Your leaders can meet us, and if you have any strong information concerning this, you can come to us so that we can iron it out together," he added.

Okeoghene Kingsley, a member of the association's Board of Trustees, spoke for COMTOA. He said the deceased was doing his legitimate work when he was killed. Kingsley mentioned that COMTOA is an organised group that has operated in Delta State for over 30 years, even during military rule and different democratic governments.

Kingsley noted that the association has always worked to keep order among its members but is worried about Chinaza Sunday’s death. "The young man that was murdered was at his duty post carrying out his legitimate duty, where he met his untimely death. As you have said, we want to believe that we have confidence in the Nigerian Police that they will do justice to this issue and those persons should be brought to book," he said.

He also stated that the association is ready to assist the police with information, including video footage and details about those involved in the incident. Kingsley insisted that Chinaza was not a criminal or political thug, stressing that the members of the association are engaged in legal businesses.

"Chinasa has not been an armed robber. He has not been a thug or a political thug. Everybody you are seeing here is going about our lawful duties. Nobody here is a thug," he said.

Kingsley added that the members of the association have the right to belong to any political group they choose, as long as they follow the law. "Everybody here has the right to belong to anybody he likes to belong to because there is freedom of association, which includes lawful assembly," he said.

He affirmed that the association would hold the police accountable for their promise to bring justice for their deceased member. The protest came after a violent incident on Saturday, November 7, along Nnebisi Road, Asaba. This incident happened during a rally for the Nigerian Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Reports say one person died and five others were injured from the violence. The Delta State Police Command, through SP Bright Edafe, mentioned that they had received information about possible violence before the rally. The police said they invited the organizers to a security meeting and warned them against holding a street march, but they did not listen.

The state government also blamed the organizers for ignoring security advice, saying the confrontation could have been avoided if the rally had taken place in a safer location. However, the Nigerian Democratic Congress rejected this explanation from the police and government. They called the incident a deliberate attack on opposition supporters.

The party is demanding an independent investigation, the arrest of those responsible, and the public disclosure of the identities of the deceased and those injured. The police had earlier stated that they were still trying to confirm the identities of the victims, and investigations are ongoing. The protest by the commercial transport operators adds to the calls for a thorough investigation into the violence. The association insists that justice must be served for their member who lost his life.