There was pandemonium in Sokoto yesterday when an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) hurled a stone into a moving commercial vehicle, a Toyota Cricket Wagon with registration number SLM 56 AA, hitting the driver, as a result of which he lost control and the vehicle somersaulted,  injuring all the passengers on board, including an 8-year-old girl.

The accident occurred about 10 am along Western Bye-pass in the Sokoto metropolis.

The FRSC official and his colleagues wanted to escape but were stopped by a passer-by who jumped into their patrol vehicle and removed its key. Sensing what might befall them, they moved out of  the car and ran away. Another account said one of them was lynched by a mob who also smashed the glasses of the patrol vehicle and punctured its tyres.

It was gathered that they wanted to set the vehicle ablaze but for the quick intervention of the police and men of the Nigeria Civil Defence Corps who dispersed them.

The driver of the commercial vehicle, Muhammad Sanusi, while speaking to Daily Trust, said they were coming to Sokoto from Silame local government area before the accident.

According to him, he was asked to stop by the officers and as he was driving off the road to park properly, one of the corps members who thought he wanted to run away picked a very big stone and pelted him with it.

The stone, he said, hit him on his right hand as a result of which he lost control of the vehicle.

When our reporter visited the scene of the incident, men of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps were guiding the patrol vehicle while policemen were busy trying to pacify the angry mob.

A Special Road Marshal who was at the scene, blamed what he called overzealousness of the officers for the accident.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Sector Command Aliyu Kanya said they were still gathering facts on  the accident after which they would address a press conference.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Sokoto state  Command, Almustapha Sani confirmed the incident but said  he was yet to be given details  by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area.

Alhaji Aminu A. Dikko, the counselor representing Labani ward where the affected commercial driver hailed from, was also at the scene of the accident and  said Silame local government council would ensure justice was done to the case.