By Dayo Johnson
Akure—IRATE youths in Ilara Mokin, Ifedore council area of Ondo State weekend beat up the Divisional Police Officer DPO, Wole Ogodo, following the death of two members of the community.

Two members of the community who were on motorcycle were crushed to death by a 18 passenger Toyota commercial bus along the llesa – Akure Expressway.

Acting on security reports that the youths were spoiling for a showdown, the police chief reportedly rushed to the scene to placate the protesting youths.

Instead, the youths reportedly attacked and beat him up, set the bus ablazed and descended on other security officers deployed to the scene to calm them down.

Eyewitness account said: “The two men who were indigenes of the town were crushed to death by the bus that was travelling toLagos and this infuriated the people of the town because they believed the driver of the bus was reckless.

“They immediately organised a protest and burnt down the bus and blocked the highway, they also attacked the security agents as the policemen were trying to stop them. “

The youths blocked the expressway and for hours motorists were delayed as traffic stood still.
Vanguard gathered that more Policemen were deployed to the scene as the youths became violent while officials of the State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps later joined to control the gridlock caused by the youths.
Motorist made a detour to other routes as the gridlock persisted while those who could not escape it were stranded for hours.

Police lmage maker, Femi Joseph, decried the behaviour of the youths who took laws into their hands.

Joseph said: “ There was a fatal accident which claimed two lives but the people of the community were unruly as they burnt down the vehicle and as the DPO was trying to prevent them from burning the vehicle, they overpowered him and seriously assaulted him.”

“However, we have begun our investigation and we are still going to arrest those that set the bus ablaze and those that beat the DPO because they have committed another offence.”