--- Insists It Has No Hands In Victim's Fate
- The Daily Crucible
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) on Tuesday evening disclosed that the man that injested a sniper and died afterwards in its premises in Abeokuta, the State capital, was 'threatened' with sack by his employer prior to the death via suicide.
TRACE said until his unfortunate end, the man was a manager of an unnamed transport firm where he Superintendended a fleet of trucks, explaining that one of the trucks had issues with the state's traffic agency and had to be towed away when the driver abandoned it on the road during scuffle with the TRACE Operatives.
The TRACE Public Relations Officer, Babatunde Akinbiyi, who made this known in a release following a general uproar in the state against the traffic agency over the death of the man, said the truck was impounded because the driver violated traffic rules.
Akinbiyi stated that an investigation revealed that the man's employer had warned him not to return to the company without retrieving the impounded truck or risk sack, stressing probably that informed why the man injested sniper and died from the poisonous substance.
He, however, noted that it was disheartening that a section of the public, particularly the motoring public and the media could criticise and antagonize TRACE without carrying out a thorough investigation and due diligence on the incidence before reacting.
According to the Spokesman of the agency, a post mortem is being carried out to unravel the true cause of the deceased death.
While commiserating with the family in their grief and sorrow, he reiterated the Corps' unflinching commitment to carry out its legitimate duty and responsibility by being civil, professional, humane, fair and firm, where necessar, regardless of blackmail and intimidation by fifth columnist.
"From investigation carried out and which was also corroborated by the Divisional Police Command, Ibara, Abeokuta, where the case is been examined, the man in question was confirmed as the Manager of a Fleet of Trucks owned by someone else ( whose name cannot be confirmed presently) and one of the trucks was penalized for violating traffic rules ( Restriction Movement On Articulated Vehicles) on Thursday, 16th July, 2020.
"The driver of the truck resisted arrest and got himself involved in a scuffle with the TRACE operatives on ground, abandoned the truck, blocking the entire stretch of the road, before the truck was eventually towed.to the the Divisional TRACE Command, Abeokuta.
"Furthermore, it was gathered that the owner of the Fleet of Trucks had warned and threatened the deceased to ensure he returns to the yard with the truck or he risk being sacked as the Manager of the Fleet.
"And who knows, this could have informed his decision to commit suicide by drinking snipper, which is condemnable, unfortunate and highly regrettable, more so because of his lack of experience in managing a Fleet and the challenge there in," he stated.
The Release In Full:
"Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, TRACE, attention has been drawn to the public outcry on the unfortunate death of a man on suicide mission at the premises of the Divisional TRACE Command, Abeokuta, before being rushed to the General Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta, where he eventually gave up the ghost.
"For emphasis, the man in question was neither a driver nor a truck owner as been purported in some quarters.
"Moreover, he was also not penalised for flouting Covid 19 laws in the state (non use of face mask and observance of social distancing) and asked to pay Two Hundred and Fifteen Thousand Naira (#215, 000.00) for same as fine.
"More importantly, the believe by some school of thought that he had been sleeping on the premises of the Divisional TRACE Command, Abeokuta, since Thursday, 16th July, 2020, until Monday, 20th July, 2020, when he was able to raise a sum of One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (#150, 000.00), which was rejected by the command is also baseless and unfounded.
"TRACE Corps wishes to register her displeasure, dissatisfaction and disapproval to this seeming campaign of calumny aimed at tarnishing the reputation and the public image profile of the Corps.
"From investigation carried out and which was also corroborated by the Divisional Police Command, Ibara, Abeokuta, where the case is been examined, the man in question was confirmed as the Manager of a Fleet of Trucks owned by someone else ( whose name cannot be confirmed presently) and one of the trucks was penalized for violating traffic rules ( Restriction Movement On Articulated Vehicles) on Thursday, 16th July, 2020.
"The driver of the truck resisted arrest and got himself involved in a scuffle with the TRACE operatives on ground, abandoned the truck, blocking the entire stretch of the road, before the truck was eventually towed.to the the Divisional TRACE Command, Abeokuta.
"Furthermore, it was gathered that the owner of the Fleet of Trucks had warned and threatened the deceased to ensure he returns to the yard with the truck or he risk being sacked as the Manager of the Fleet.
"And who knows, this could have informed his decision to commit suicide by drinking snipper, which is condemnable, unfortunate and highly regrettable, more so because of his lack of experience in managing a Fleet and the challenge there in.
"However, it is disheartening that a section of the general public, particularly the motoring public and the media could criticize and antagonize the Corps without carrying out a thorough investigation and due diligence on the incidence before reacting.
"While a post mortem is being carried out to unravel the true cause of the deceased death, TRACE Corps commiserate and condole with the family in this moment of grief and sorrow, and wish to state categorically that it would continue to carry out its legitimate duty and responsibility by being civil, professional, humane, fair and firm, where necessary, regardless of blackmail and intimidation by fifth columnist."
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