An unnamed commercial bus driver is reportedly at large following allegations of setting an officer of the Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA) on fire along Sapele Road in Benin, the capital city.
According to reports gathered, the driver of the bus, bearing registration number Osun FFE 145 XA, was accused of violating a traffic regulation at Adesua junction along Sapele Road on Friday, resulting in his apprehension.
An EDSTMA officer disclosed that the driver turned violent during the attempted arrest.
Subsequently, when instructed to bring the vehicle to the EDTSMA office, the driver allegedly stripped naked, seized a container of petrol from his vehicle, doused the officer with it, and set him ablaze.
Efforts to contact the spokesperson of EDSTMA, Roland Owolabi, proved futile.
However, in a video circulating on social media featuring images of the vehicle, an individual believed to be an EDSTMA official narrated the incident, stating, “The driver committed a traffic offence, and officers of the Zone 2 enforcement team apprehended him and asked him to gently take the bus to the base but he refused, he resisted arrest and started fighting everyone.
“At the end of the day, one of the officers was asked to take the bus to the base. The driver brought out petrol, got himself naked, poured the petrol on the officer on the bus and set him ablaze.
“As we speak, the officer is receiving treatment in a hospital here in Benin City. The bus driver is on the run.”
