An Assistant Superintendent of Police with the Ekiti State Police Command riding on a motorcycle has been crushed to death by a police patrol van in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The development was confirmed by the Command’s Commissioner, Tunde Mobayo, on Wednesday in a statement.
In the statement by the spokesman of the Command, Sunday Abutu, Mobayo said while eight other policemen sustained injuries in the accident involving the patrol van of the Rapid Response Squad.
The statement said: “Around 6.30pm, a distress call was received from the DPO, Ikole Ekiti, by the RRS for reinforcement for the possible arrest of some suspected cultists, who have been terrorising the people of Ikole-Ekiti and its environs.
“Upon the receipt of the report, the RRS Commander deployed three patrol vehicles with adequate operatives in the area for the operation.
“Unfortunately, while on their way, one of the three patrol vehicles developed a mechanical fault, went off its lane and hit an oncoming motorcycle ridden by a policeman, who had closed from work and was returning home.
“The policeman was rushed to hospital for medical attention, but was confirmed dead by a medical doctor, while eight other RRS operatives in the patrol vehicle sustained varying degrees of injury and are currently in hospital receiving medical attention.”
Mobayo, according to Abutu, has since sympathised with the family of the deceased police officer with a plan to visit them and visited the injured policemen in the hospital.