by Chinwe Okafor

A speeding truck crushed a warehouse driver, Rafiu Baale, to death when he was pushed into the path of the truck by a tricycle driver, Imeh Matthew, during a rift.

According to reports by Punch, the incident happened when a Keke Marwa driven by Imeh and his brother was hit by a car driver from behind in front of a warehouse.
The brothers got down to challenge the car owner but such things don’t go on smoothly and soon enough there was a scuffle.

This created a gridlock, forcing the manager of the warehouse to intervene. He asked the warring parties to vacate the company’s gate area. That was when the deceased, who was a driver with the company, also came out and joined in the call for calm.

However, as the affray and the peace making continued, the tricycle driver was alleged to have pushed Baale to the road and he was crushed to death by a speeding truck.

The matter was said to have been reported at the Answani Police Station, and the truck driver, Aliu Salisu, and the tricycle driver, Imeh, were arrested.

Twenty-five-year old Imeh claimed he acted in self-defence and had no intention of killing the victim.

He said on the day of the incident, he had parked his tricycle at a junction to eat, adding that it was while returning in his younger brother’s tricycle that the incident happened.

However the victim did not die on the spot. He was said to have been rushed to a hospital, but died on the way. He was confirmed dead in the hospital.