Asaba Political Violence: Tricycle Operators March On Police, Demand Justice For Slain Colleague
By GEORGETTE CHIDI
COMMERCIAL transport operators in Delta State have taken their demand for justice to the police following the death of their colleague, Chinaza Sunday, during Saturday’s political violence in Asaba.
The operators, operating under the Commercial Motorcycle and Tricycles Operators Association (COMTOA), staged a protest at the Delta State Police Command headquarters on Monday. They urged the authorities to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the killing.
The protesters, who carried placards, marched from Summit Road to the police headquarters. Their central demand was clear: the police must establish how their colleague died and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Addressing the issue, Prince Okeoghene Miller Kingsley, a member of COMTOA’s Board of Trustees, said Chinaza was carrying out his lawful business when he encountered the violence.
He insisted that the association wanted a credible investigation rather than further confrontation. Consequently, he pledged that its members would provide useful information to assist the police.
Kingsley also dismissed any attempt to portray the deceased as a criminal or political thug. He stressed that commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators were engaged in legitimate economic activities and should not be associated with unlawful conduct without evidence.
“Chinaza was neither an armed robber nor a political thug. Everybody you are seeing here is going about their lawful duties. Nobody here is a thug,” he declared.
Beyond demanding justice, the association’s representative defended members’ constitutional freedom to support political parties and movements of their choice. He maintained, however, that such participation must remain within the law.
In response, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Administration, DCP Philip Adejo, acknowledged the protest and confirmed that the Command had received the association’s petition.
He assured the demonstrators that the police would investigate the killing. At the same time, he appealed for restraint and warned members against retaliatory action.
Adejo said the association should allow the police to handle the matter through established legal procedures. He further invited its leaders to meet investigators and submit any relevant information that could advance the inquiry.
The demonstration came three days after violence disrupted a political procession along Nnebisi Road, Asaba, on Saturday 7 November.
The procession was organised by the Obidient/OK Movement in support of Nigerian Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi. Police subsequently confirmed that one person died while five others sustained injuries.
However, the circumstances surrounding the incident have generated conflicting accounts.
The police, through their spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, said the Command had received intelligence pointing to a possible breakdown of security before the procession. They also maintained that officers invited the organisers to a security meeting and advised them against conducting an open street march.
According to the police, the organisers allegedly disregarded the warning.
The Delta State Government similarly faulted the organisers, arguing that they should have relocated the procession to an approved venue where security personnel could manage the event.
The Nigerian Democratic Congress, however, disputed both positions. It described the incident as a deliberate attack on opposition supporters and called for an independent investigation into the violence.
In addition, the party demanded the arrest of those responsible and the public identification of the alleged sponsors, the deceased and the injured victims.
Although the police had earlier said they were yet to establish the identities of the victims, the latest protest has intensified public pressure for answers.
For COMTOA, the immediate priority is to establish the circumstances of Chinaza’s death and secure justice for its member. The association has also made clear that it expects the police to translate their assurances into a credible investigation and appropriate legal action.
