How I Was Nearly Killed By Police Officer In Delta For Attempting To Overtake Patrol Van – Medical Doctor Cries Out

Dr Harrison Adja, President, Association of Resident Doctor, Delta State University Teaching Hospital, (Delsuth) Oghara, on Thursday, narrated how he allegedly escaped death in the hands of some police officers who shot at him for attempting to overtake their patrol vehicle in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of the state.

Dr. Adja, said that he narrowly escaped death after policemen in a patrol van opened fire on him in his vehicle along the Benin-Onitsha expressway in Agbor.

The development is coming barely a month after the killing of a Lagos based lawyer, Mrs Bolanle Raheem, on Christmas Day by policemen.

Addressing journalists in Asaba, the state capital, Adja said he was attempting to overtake a lone patrol van with registration number RBC 970 TN along the Benin-Onitsha expressway on his way to Asaba when a policeman pointing a rifle at him, ordered him not to overtake them.

Adja said he indicated to them the inscription on his official vehicle, but did not overtake the van.

He said the policeman suddenly shot at his vehicle narrowly missing him and in the process destroyed his radiator, condenser and power steering pump and pipes of his vehicle.

He said, in fright, he lost control of his vehicle and ran off the road into a gutter.

His words, “I was driving on the Benin-Onitsha expressway and about overtaking a police patrol van when they(policemen) pointed their guns at me to go back, so I slowed down and was using my hand to demonstrate what was inscribed on my car, and the next thing I heard was God punish doctor… I was still behind them when they summarily opened fire at me, hitting the car and bursting the radiator, condenser and power steering pipes of my official vehicle.”

He said the incident occured at midday in Agbor along the Benin Onitsha expressway by Uromi junction.

According to him, the policemen at Agbor Police Divisional Headquarters where he went to report the matter were hostile, adding that they refused to take his statement but kept him waiting for over three hours.

He said he went to Delta state Police Command in Asaba with details of the near tragic incident and is yet to get any response from the police.

He said, “I have reached out to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command with the details and I am hoping to get results, but I am yet to get any result. Same fate one may assume befell the gruesome murder of our colleague in Oghara few weeks ago, and a lawyer few months ago… Can we actually call this our country if things remains like this? Bleak and no signs of light in the tunnel?”

Efforts to reach the Delta Police Command, image maker, DSP Bright Edafe proved abortive. His phone line rang out and text messages to his phone were unanswered.