A tricycle operator on Tuesday slumped and died at about 7:48 a.m. close to a petrol station at Bata bus stop in Aba.
The man was simply identified as Ogbonna Uche through his tricycle documents which were perused by a policeman who spoke under anonymity.
The policeman said that Uche crossed the road holding on to his chest and shouting “my heart, my heart” before he slumped and died.
An eye-witness who gave his name as Mmeribe John told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the man crossed the road holding on to his chest.
“He was shouting, “my chest, my chest” as he was coming and we asked him what is the phone number of your wife and he said that his wife has no phone.
“That was the last word that came from him before he collapsed and died,” he said.
Mmeribe said that the man must have consumed a substance from a small bottle found in his shirt pocket which was suspected to be poisonous.
Another police officer at the scene who did not give his name sampled the substance using his fingers and said that the substance felt very hot on his fingers.
Another man who later arrived at the scene at about 9:55 am, and who identified himself as Okwubunka, confirmed that the dead driver is truly Ogbonna Uche.
He said that the late Uche was his brother and that they hailed from Okpulo-Umuobo in Osisioma local government area.
According to Okwubunka, the deceased “has been suffering from heart issues which is not natural but he has been managing it until now”.
The Abia State Police PRO, Geoffery Ogbonna, told the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone that he was unaware of the the incident.(NAN)