Witnesses said the argument was very brief and the policeman ordered the driver down from the bus. He then allegedly shot the driver in the pelvic area and fled.
A policeman on highway patrol duty between Ibadan and Lagos shot a motorist in the early hours of Tuesday, November 11, over a N50 bribe.
Umaru Bayi was driving a commercial bus which departed from Jos in Plateau State Monday night, with a full set of passengers bound for Lagos. As they approached Lagos from Ibadan around 1 p.m. during their journey they were stopped by a policeman in a patrol van on the highway. The van was later identified by its plate number, C NPF 6843.
After stopping the bus, the unidentified policeman reportedly demanded a N50 bribe from the driver, but the driver said he only had N1,000 notes.
The driver had also asked his passengers to assist him with a N50 note to pay the bribe demanded, but none of the passengers had it.
Following the vain search, the driver had offered his N1,000 note to the policeman and asked for "change". But the policeman reacted with anger, asking "should I be looking for change for you?"
Witnesses said the argument was very brief and the policeman ordered the driver down from the bus. He then allegedly shot the driver in the pelvic area and fled.
Umaru is currently being operated upon at a hospital. His relatives report that he is in critical condition.