A family in Lokoja, Kogi State, has been thrown into mourning following the death of a commercial tricycle operator, Paul Adams Shaibu, who was allegedly struck on the head by a stone thrown by members of a task force pursuing a truck driver.
Shaibu, a father of three, reportedly died on Saturday while on his way to make money for his family.
His widow, Mrs Agnes Adams Shaibu, has appealed to the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, and well-meaning Nigerians to assist her family, particularly with the education of their three children.
According to the widow, her husband left their home in Gidan Diya, Wada Road, on the outskirts of Ganaja Village, Lokoja, after their usual morning devotion, intending to work throughout the day before returning home.
She said Shaibu, who hailed from Echekwu in Bassa Local Government Area, usually operated his tricycle along routes linking Felele, Crusher, Zone 8 and other parts of Lokoja.
However, his routine was cut short when he reportedly stopped around the Zone 8 junction to pick up a passenger.
The widow alleged that Shaibu was struck on the skull by a heavy stone thrown by persons said to be members of a toll gate task force who were pursuing a truck driver accused of refusing to stop when flagged down to pay toll fees.
“He went to hustle for the weekend and never returned alive. He was a caring father. Our provider is gone,” she said while mourning her husband.
Mrs Shaibu said a mechanic who witnessed the incident mobilised members of the tricycle riders’ union, who rushed the injured man to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja.
She said, however, that efforts by medical personnel to save his life failed, as he was pronounced dead.
The widow further disclosed that members of the Keke Riders Union subsequently helped secure the arrest of two persons allegedly linked to the incident. They were taken to the B Division Police Station for questioning.
According to her, the mechanic who assisted her husband also launched a search for his family because the deceased had no means of identification on him when the incident occurred.
She said the suspects allegedly gave investigators a different account of the incident, claiming that although they had thrown stones, it was the truck driver who knocked Shaibu down.
Mrs Shaibu said the police had ordered an autopsy to establish the actual cause of death and urged authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to unravel what happened.
Beyond seeking justice, the widow appealed for urgent assistance to keep her children in school.
She said her first son, Reigns, 17, was awaiting admission into the Federal University Lokoja; her second child, Leader, 15, was preparing for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, while the youngest, Onuh, 12, is expected to enter Senior Secondary School One next session.
“My husband has nobody to look after us. He had lost his father and mother long ago and he was the only one the families looked unto,” she said.
Describing her late husband as an easy-going and devoted family man, Mrs Shaibu said he attached great importance to the education and welfare of their children.
She said her husband usually took the family to school after their morning devotion before going out to operate his tricycle.
“He doesn’t joke with their education. After our usual morning devotion, he will dress up, and wait for us to dress up to take us to the school where I’m managing as teacher in a private school, with meagre salary not good enough to pay for transportation fare for a month,” she lamented.
According to her, Shaibu had no savings when he died because he had gone out that particular Saturday to make enough money to sustain the family through Sunday, when he usually did not work.
She said the family was currently surviving on food items donated by neighbours and other sympathisers.
The widow appealed to Governor Ododo, relevant authorities and public-spirited Nigerians to ensure justice for her husband and support the children to continue their education.
