YENAGOA, NIGERIA – A driver, Benalayefa Bako Asiayei, was allegedly shot dead by a police officer on Azikoro Road in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, after refusing to pay a ₦200 bribe.
The tragic incident has sparked public outrage and condemnation from human rights organizations. Asiayei, a 40-year-old father of three and part-time commercial driver, was killed while picking up a passenger in his Sienna car. Witnesses reported that the officer, part of the state’s Operation Doo Akpo special patrol team, shot Asiayei when he couldn’t pay the bribe.
The officer’s identity remains unknown. The Bayelsa police spokesman, ASP Musa Muhammed, stated that an official statement would be released later. Asiayei’s body was taken to the Federal Medical Centre Mortuary after being discovered by his in-law at the scene.