Just In Onitsha residents beat, set ablaze two IGR agents for causing death of a bystander
PAMELA EBOH
Angry residents of old market Road, near Venn road by Egerton in Onitsha, Anambra State on Saturday beat to stupor, set ablaze two Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) agents following an alleged attack that led to the death of a bystander..
According to eyewitnesses, the tragedy occured when the agents reportedly struggled with a tipper driver over his vehicle’s steering.
In the course of the struggle, the driver lost control of the moving vehicle and hit a bystander, killing him on the spot.
Resident on the scene, including tricycle operators gathered and prevented the agents from fleeing the scene and descended on the agents with various objects, including sticks, planks and stones before setting them on fire.
This incident highlights growing frustration among residents over the recent conduct of revenue agents in the state, who overtime have been accused of using extreme and sometimes violent methods to enforce compliance.
According to one of the eyewitnesses: “There was chaos in Onitsha this morning as angry mob set ablaze two revenue touts, while four others were lucky as they managed to escape.
“The revenue collectors, numbering about six were chasing the tipper driver over a certain amount they asked him to pay.
“As they were chasing him, some of them were dragging the steering with him, but unfortunately, in the process, the tipper driver lost control and rammed into passers-by, killing him instantly.
“Immediately, the revenue collectors saw the damage they caused, they tried to flee the scene, but the Onitsha mob got angry and descended on them, setting ablaze two of them instantly while four of them managed to escape.
“This is one death too many that has been going on in Anambra in the last two years. The person whom the tipper driver rammed into is known.
“We cannot continue like this anymore. These Revenue touts of the state government have killed more Ndi Anambra than non-state actors.
But, a government official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that they were not government agents, rather, they were people extorting the government.
He added, Soludo is working for the good of the state but, unfortunately, the opposition has been looking for avenues to give him bad names.”
Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Tochukwu Ikenga while confirming the incident said that the police have brought the situation under control.
He added, Anambra police responded swiftly on the receipt of the fatal accident that happened in that area.
“We are already working with the relevant authorities to ascertain what happened and finding an amicable solution to such especially on future occurrences."
Some of the residents who spoke to Pamif blog said that the agents deserved the jungle justice they got, saying that people were not happy with them.
A trader who gave her name as simply Madam Chisom said, "This people are very wicked. You need to see how they harrass and attack people here in the name of IGR. Infant, I was there when they were been attacked and people were happy and encouraging the people beating them."
She wondered why the agents would be struggling steering with a driver when the vehicle is in motion, and in the process killed an innocent man.
"What sort of nobesense is that? Is that revenue more importantthan someone's life?, Governor Soludo educate these agents better, organise trainings for them, she added.
On his part, a resident of the area, Mr Ifeanyi Anayo said that though the governor is doing well, the IGR agents are giving him bad name. The way they go about this business is not sane at all. The state needs money to work, we also need people alive to run their life.
On whether he joined in the beating of the agents, he said no but that he was in support, "They deserve what they got. It's somebody's son, father, uncle, they killed just like that, and the driver is nowhere to be found."
