Tragedy struck in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, as a 40-year-old man, Benalayefa Asiayei, was shot dead by a policeman along Azikoro Road. Asiayei, an electrician from Bobougbene community in Delta State, was returning from work in his Toyota Sienna around 8 pm on Tuesday when the incident occurred.
According to reports, the policeman, attached to the state security outfit Operation Doo Akpo, stopped Asiayei’s vehicle and demanded N200, the alleged usual collection fee from motorists. Asiayei, who had only one passenger with him, did not have the money. Eyewitnesses recounted that the policeman then abruptly shot Asiayei, who was in the front seat.
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Asiayei’s in-law, identified as Zaiky, discovered the car and the deceased’s body at the scene, prompting him to raise an alarm. Eyewitnesses managed to take pictures of the fleeing policeman before he escaped in the patrol van.
The police later took Asiayei’s body to Government House Hospital, Yenagoa, and then to the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa. The family is now seeking justice, calling on Governor Douye Diri, the Inspector General of Police, and the Ijaw Youth Council to take action against police brutality in the state.
“We are calling on the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Sen. Douye Diri, and the Inspector General of Police to bring to book the policeman who shot Bena to death and face the law. We are also calling on the Ijaw Youth Council IYC Worldwide to take necessary action against police brutality in Bayelsa State,” the family stated.
