Eric Osaigbovo, the managing director of the De-Kaso Hotel, said he was fortunate to have survived when a group of more than 100 irate youths stormed the hotel with the intention of setting it on fire, as members of the Edo State Police Command attempt to investigate the events that led to the death of a Benin bolt driver who was beaten by some guests in a hotel before he passed away.
IREPORT247NEW reports that Bolt, an e-hailing business, responded to the death of Henry Osemwenkhia, one of its drivers in Benin City, who was allegedly assaulted by four Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps members who are currently being held in police custody.
Read more Bolt Demands Justice After The Driver Died As A Result Of NSCDC Assault
E-hailing Drivers in Benin staged a protest after Osarodion Osemwhenkhai’s death last week, calling for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the death of their colleague.
Osaigbovo, who cleared himself and his employees of any involvement in the altercation that resulted in Osarodion Osemwhenkhai, the bolt driver, being killed, said that he was not on the hotel grounds at the time of the incident.
The hotel’s managing director claimed that one of his employees attracted his attention, causing him to rush to the hotel only to learn that the altercation had ended and that the bolt driver had been taken to the hospital, where he passed away.
He claimed that a few hours later, a gang of boys besieged the hotel. Before he could attempt to flee, someone recognized him as the hotel’s owner, and he was severely beaten to unconsciousness by renegade young people who also damaged hotel property.
According to the CCTV evidence that shows the late bolt driver’s family, he was not even present when the incident happened, and no hotel employees were involved in the attack, he continued.
“It was the checkout guest, as seen in the CCTV video, that beat the driver, and NSCDC staff also joined in beating the late driver. The people involved are known. I’m completely innocent; not even a single drink was spared.
“I was told a cab man wanted to hit the car of a guest checking out, which led to a fight. Someone had to give the late bolt driver N10,000 to treat himself after the beating. I was told that the NSCDC personnel took the driver to their office.
“I was in my hotel room, and all of a sudden, I saw more than a hundred boys; they brought a dead body to my hotel before I knew what was happening. They started destroying everything in my hotel, and they wanted to set it ablaze. I was beaten to a point where I no longer knew where I was before the police came to my rescue.”
CSP Moses Yamu, the police public relations officer (PPRO) who verified the murder, reported that four NSCDC officers had been taken into police custody.