Cow saga: Commercial bus driver, conductor now in Pant helping police investigation among suspects

Bisi ABASS

The driver and conductor of the commercial bus that accidentally hit a cow in Mowo, Badagry area of Lagos, last Monday, where crisis erupted leading to the alleged murder of a man are now helping the police in their investigation to get to the root of the matter.

Arrested along them are two herders and the owner of the cow that died.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hudenyi, confirmed that five persons were in Police custody over the murder.

He said: “They are the driver of the vehicle, his conductor, two herders and the owner of the cow.

“They are assisting us in the investigation because it is a comprehensive and holistic one. Remember, this is a murder case and we need to be very careful with the investigation.

“We are not targeting anybody. We need everybody’s input, including bystanders, so that we can recreate the scene and know what exactly happened and who exactly is at fault.

“At the end of investigation, anyone found not culpable will be allowed to go.”

However, the wife of the driver, Favour Bright, wondered why her husband and his conductor were being detained as common criminals over the murder they had no hand in.

She said: “My husband, Bright Okpara, drove the vehicle that accidentally hit the cow that died. Immediately the incident happened, he and his conductor ran to the Police station to incident the matter

“When the Police escorted them back, they saw a dead body on the floor. A woman there told them that herders killed the man, thinking he was the one that killed their cow.

“Thereafter, the policemen took them back to the station to write a statement. Since then, they have not come back. Rather, from Morogbo station, they took them to Ikeja and from there to Panti.

“Now, the story making the rounds is that the man that was killed was a thief. If care is not taken, my husband and the conductor might be implicated in the murder.

“I am, therefore, appealing to Police authorities to release my husband and his conductor because I don’t know why they are kept in custody.“