A police van has killed a nursing mother and her little child in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
The sad incident occurred along along the popular NPA expressway, in-between PTI junction and Effurun Roundabout.
According to eyewitnesses, the police van was chasing suspected internet fraudsters otherwise known as “Yahoo boys” and accidentally rammed into a tricycle carrying a mother and her daughter.
It was gathered that the operatives and the suspected yahoo boys which the security team were chasing were driving against traffic when they reportedly hit the tricycle conveying the victims.
Some eyewitnesses claimed that the security men were policemen while others alleged that it was personnel of the newly formed Operation Delta Hawk (OPDH) who were chasing the suspected fraudsters.
The woman and her daughter were confirmed dead on the spot.
The driver of the tricycle had his two legs allegedly broken while another occupant, a woman, was seriously injured.
The incident occurred at about 1:30pm on Wednesday causing traffic jam along the Effurun Roundabout, PTI Junction and DSC Roundabout axis of the East-West Road in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the operatives had reportedly stopped a Toyota Camry which was allegedly carrying the suspected Yahoo Boys but yhe car refused to stop.
The operatives decided to chase the suspected Yahoo Boys and, in the process, hit the Keke carrying the deceased and the injured passengers.
Subsequently, a sand-laden truck which was also avoiding the speedy operatives rammed into the Keke carrying the victims.
Eyewitnesses told our correspondents that the operatives immediately fled the scene of the incident as a mob was building up.
It took the intervention of soldiers and men of the Ebrumede Police Division to calm the situation as the mob later set ablaze a police van belonging to Ebrumede Police.
“The woman appeared to be feeding her daughter when the security van hit the Keke before a tipper carrying sand and also giving way for the personnel chasing the suspected yahoo boys further crushed the victims.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, said the command was still investigating the incident but confirmed the death of the woman and her daughter in the incident.
“We are aware that a woman and young child died but we are investigating the incident to known what really happened”, Onovwakpoyeya said.