Tragedy broke out on Wednesday afternoon under the Mabushi Bridge in Abuja, when a man, his wife, and their son lost their lives following a violent encounter with touts, popularly known as ‘Agberos’.
According to eyewitness accounts, the family was driving in a Toyota Highlander after purchasing a brand new refrigerator when they were chased from the Berger axis by three touts. The touts reportedly forced their way into the vehicle and began dragging the steering wheel with the driver.
“In the process of struggling for control, the car rammed into the pillar under the bridge before plunging into the drainage,” one eyewitness told our correspondent, who visited the scene of the incident. The impact killed all three occupants of the vehicle instantly.
A green-colour Abuja taxi parked nearby was also hit and severely damaged.
The chaos that followed sparked outrage among passersby, who lynched one of the touts.
However, police operatives from the Mabushi Division arrived to rescue two of the touts as one of the suspects was killed by the mob, while the remaining two sustained critical injuries and were rushed to the National Hospital.
The bodies of the deceased family of three have since been deposited at the mortuary.
There were conflicting reports as to whether a child was among the casualties, but multiple witnesses confirmed the presence of a boy in the car.
Expressing his anger, one resident identified as Moses said, “Abuja citizens are tired of ‘Agberos’ and they should be flushed from the society. Now, a family of three is gone. Are you saying I should have a car and still pay for a commercial vehicle to transport my things?”
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the Police regarding the incident, which occurred a few minutes to 1:00 pm on Wednesday.
