Tragedy as Police allegedly kill Benalayefa Asiayei for refusing to pay N200 bribe, family cries out for justice 

By Peters Monday, Abuja

Tragedy struck on May 27, 2024, when a Nigerian police officer fatally shot Benalayefa Asiayei, a 40-year-old electrician, in Yenagoa. Asiayei, a resident of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and native of Ayakoromo community in Delta State, was driving his Sienna car with one passenger when the Douakpo police security patrol stopped him at Zikoro Road around 8 pm.

According to eyewitnesses, the officers demanded their usual N200 Naira bribe collection from motorists, which Asiayei claimed he didn’t have. Suddenly, one of the officers who was offended by such response fired his gun, killing Asiayei instantly.

The incident sparked outrage, and Asiayei’s family is seeking justice for his brutal murder. However, the police have acknowledged the incident as a mistake and taken the offending officer into custody.

The family, along with the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, is urging the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, and the Inspector General of Police to ensure the officer faces the law and is held accountable for his actions.

Congress gathered that the late Benalayefa Asiayei left behind a wife and three children, and his father’s burial is scheduled for August. The family demands an end to police brutality in Bayelsa State.

However, efforts to reach the police PRO of Bayelsa State command were unfruitful.