Mohamed Garba
Tension gripped residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Friday morning following the discovery of a Bolt driver shot dead inside his vehicle at Samphino Junction, in the Kpansia area of the city.
The grim scene drew attention from early passersby, who noticed the lifeless body of the middle-aged driver slumped in the car. They quickly alerted authorities, prompting a swift response from the police who sealed off the area to begin preliminary investigations.
The incident marks the second violent killing in the vicinity within a week. Just days earlier, a 27-year-old graduate of the Federal University, Otuoke, Daniel Ayama, was murdered less than a kilometre away, raising concerns about growing insecurity in the city.
Though the victim’s identity had not been formally released by the time of reporting, initial police assessments suggest the driver was shot at close range. Strikingly, no items appeared to have been stolen from the vehicle, fuelling speculation that the killing may have been an assassination.
Bayelsa State Police Command spokesperson, Musa Mohammed, confirmed that a full-scale investigation is underway. “We are working to gather all necessary intelligence. Forensic teams have been deployed to the scene and we are also liaising with the Bolt company to retrieve trip data that may help in tracking down the culprits,” he said.
The tragic killing has sparked fresh calls for increased protection of e-hailing drivers and other transport workers in the state. Members of the drivers’ union, along with other local stakeholders, have urged the police to act swiftly.
“This cannot become the new normal. We need to feel safe doing our jobs,” said one union member, who asked not to be named. “We demand justice and security for all drivers.”
As investigations continue, residents are left shaken, with many now questioning the safety of both riders and drivers in Bayelsa’s capital.
