Bayelsa Keke Rider Dies, Police Probe Underway as FRSC Denies Responsibility

The Bayelsa State Police Command has launched a preliminary inquiry into the circumstances surrounding a fatal road traffic incident that claimed the life of a commercial tricycle operator. The accident, which reportedly involved a collision between the tricycle and a Dangote truck, occurred on Monday morning along the Okaka Expressway, near Okaka Primary School, in Yenagoa. Eyewitnesses at the scene claim the crash transpired during a traffic enforcement operation by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) close to one of their checkpoints at Okaka Junction.

Local residents voiced strong allegations, with some asserting that the actions of the FRSC officials contributed directly to the tragic accident. Furthermore, some claimed that the officers quickly departed the scene following the incident, a situation that ignited widespread protests among angry youths and community members. The protesters expressed profound outrage, identifying the deceased as a diligent father who was on his daily hustle to provide for his family. They passionately called for a thorough, transparent, and unbiased investigation into the crash, demanding that all individuals found culpable be held accountable.

Confirming these developments, DSP Musa Muhammad, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Bayelsa State Command, communicated via a WhatsApp message to PUNCH Online on Tuesday that the command has indeed initiated a preliminary investigation into the matter. "The command has commenced preliminary investigation into the cause of the incident. Meanwhile, law and order has been restored," DSP Muhammad stated.

In response to the accusations leveled against the FRSC, Corps Commander Sylvanus Oke-Ordu, the Bayelsa Sector Commander, firmly refuted any culpability of his agency's personnel in the accident. Commander Oke-Ordu clarified that "FRSC officers left the scene not to evade responsibility but to pursue the truck driver, who allegedly attempted to flee after the collision." He further disclosed that the driver of the Dangote truck has since been apprehended and is currently in the custody of the police.