From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri, and Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A day of sorrow enveloped Imo and Osun states as two separate fatal accidents claimed the lives of 11 individuals. Additionally, two commercial motorcyclists were lynched by irate mobs following the incidents.
In Osun State, a tragic crash at Obada market in Ode-Omu, Ayedaade Local Government, took the lives of a woman, identified as Cecilia, and her three children. The accident, which occurred on Saturday morning, involved a car with registration number Lagos BDG 481 JD, heading to Ibadan from Osogbo, and a motorcycle carrying Cecilia and her four children returning from a vigil in Ode-Omu. The motorcyclist, identified as Abraham, also perished in the crash. Only one child, who was seated at the back, survived.
Eyewitnesses reported that the accident happened around 6 a.m. when the motorcycle was struck by the car. Following the incident, enraged locals descended upon the car’s passengers, capturing two out of three and setting them ablaze. The mob acted swiftly after seeing the dead bodies on the ground, capturing the two occupants near the Obada River and burning them alive. The driver of the car managed to escape.
Osun State Police spokesperson Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incident, stating, “Two children were at the front, another one in the middle, and another was on the back of their mother on the bike. The children, their mother, and the bike man died instantly, except for one child who survived. The driver escaped immediately after the accident. Despite appeals to the angry mob, they set ablaze the remaining two occupants of the vehicle. Later, we extinguished the fire, rescued them, and transferred them to a hospital in Osogbo.”
In Imo State, a devastating crash occurred on Okigwe Road near the Imo State University (IMSU) junction in Owerri over the weekend. According to a source, the accident took place around 7 p.m. when a trailer, allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road, failed to brake and rammed into a six-seater commuter bus. The impact crushed the bus and its passengers, killing several on the spot and injuring bystanders.
The source described the scene: “We don’t know exactly what happened, but we just heard a loud noise and rushed to the scene. We saw victims trapped inside the bus; some people said the trailer was on a one-way road and failed its brake, ramming into the bus. It was a gory sight. We had to start pulling victims from the vehicle; some of them died immediately.”
This spot has a history of similar accidents, with previous incidents occurring last year and in prior years.
These tragic events have once again highlighted the need for improved road safety measures and stricter traffic regulations to prevent further loss of life.