Category: News Published on Tuesday, 27
August 2013 05:00
Written by Sunday
Misbahu Bashir & Isuwa, Kaduna

A 30-year-old commercial bus driver in
Kaduna has killed himself leaving a note in
which he said he decided to end his life over
alleged police extortion.
Sunday Igwe took insecticide when he could
not bear incessant police arrest and
extortions, his suicide note revealed. Sunday
was hired as a commercial bus driver by a
man he named Henry in his letter.
In the note he said police arrested him on
several occasions over alleged traffic
offences but each time he was arrested,
police demanded money from him.
A driver who would not want to be named
said before Sunday took his life on Sunday;
policemen in Sabon Tasha arrested him and
detained his bus. They requested for N2, 000
from him to release the bus which he paid.
Another group of policemen arrested him at
Taiwo road over wrong parking two hours
later and demanded for N2,000.
“He could not afford the money the
policemen demand and left to inform the bus
owner. The owner of the bus told him not to
worry as they still stand a chance to collect
the bus on Monday but he proceeded to his
room located at No 27 school road Nasarawa
in Kaduna South Local government, wrote the
shocking note and took a local liquid
insecticide popularly called Ota pia-pia that
led to his death.”
A photocopy of the suicide note obtained by
Daily Trust reads: “Please Ozo, tell my Oga
Henry to go and look out for his bus at the
Police station. Tell him that am sorry for
everything I have cost him let him forgive
me. It is not my forth (fault). That is the way
things should go. Let them look for my
conductor so that they can go together to
biel (bail) his bus and let them tell the police
people what happened.
“After crying explend (explaining) everything
to them but all their (they) need is money
and I don’t have it let them come and take
my cops and relies (release) someone bus for
him. Anyway I have nothing against them
and let them read this too. Thanks you Oga
Henry bye.”
When our correspondent visited Igwe’s room,
it was still emitting the smell of insecticides.
Chairman of Nasarawa branch, Nigeria Union
of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Kaura
Abdullahi told Daily Trust that his Financial
Secretary informed him on Sunday that one
of their drivers was arrested by the police at
Command Junction and collected N2,000
from him over wrong parking.
Daily Trust gathered that Sunday stayed for
years without a job before he was employed
as a bus driver.
His body was deposited at Dr Gwamna Awan
General Hospital and hospital officials could
not speak to our correspondent but said
Sunday was Brought-In-Dead (BID).
When contacted, Kaduna police spokesman
Aminu Lawan said they were investigating
the matter.
“From what we have gathered, he was
arrested because of road obstruction and the
policemen demanded him to produce his
papers and drivers license which he said he
will bring. He left and did not return. We
have the letter they said he wrote and its only
investigation that will revealed whether he
was the one that wrote it,” Lawan said.
On the allegation that the police received
money from him while another group
demanded N2,000 Lawan said they will
investigate and ensure that culprits are
brought to book.

http://dailytrust.info/index.php/news/4045-driver-takes-own-life-over-police-extortion