Vanguard News Nigeria

21 people, including pregnant woman die, 20 injured in Ondo, Oyo

Tony Tony
2 days ago

By Dayo Johnson & Ola Ajayi

It was a black New Year Eve for some families in Ondo and Oyo states as 21 people reportedly lost their lives in auto crashes, kidnapping and armed robbery, while many sustained various degrees of injuries.



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Some few minutes before the New Year, a fatal auto crash at New Gbagi International Market on Ife-Ibadan expressway, Ibadan, Oyo State capital left twelve people including a pregnant woman dead and 20 others with life-threatening injuries.

Same night seven persons were reportedly shot dead and many others injured as suspected armed robbers/ kidnappers invaded the notorious Uso/Owo Highway in Owo area of Ondo State, while two persons also died in an auto crash in Ajowa, Akoko area of the state.

It was gathered that the Ibadan accident, which occurred 15 minutes before the New Year, left a bitter pill in the mouths of the families and sympathisers who thronged the scene of the accident.

A source told Vanguard that at about 11:40 pm, an articulated vehicle lost control and ran into commercial buses which had passengers in them.

An eyewitness, Mr. Olatunde, said a bus belonging to his boss, Orobo baba welder, had loaded passengers at the spot and when it was about to commence its journey, a trailer en route Iwo Road from Ife axis rammed into the buses.

“The victims were crushed to death by an oncoming trailer from Iwo Road axis which rammed into the commercial buses by the entrance of the market, where commercial buses usually park carelessly on the road .”

Expectedly, the accident resulted in heavy traffic congestion which forced some motorists to spend the New Year’s day on the road.

Also involved in the accident were two cars including a Toyota Camry and Nissan Micra cars.

Victims of the multiple accidents including people going to churches for the cross overnight service at Iyana-Agbala and Egbeda Area of the capital city were rushed to the hospital.

The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adekunle Ajisebutu and the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, who confirmed the incident, said the driver of the ill-fated truck absconded adding that the casualty figure stood at eleven.

But Vanguard was reliably informed that nine people died on the spot, while three others died yesterday.

The Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mrs Cecilia Alao, however, confirmed that 12 people died in the accident and that their remains had been deposited at the morgue of the Oyo State Specialist Hospital, Adeoyo, Ibadan.

In a statement signed by the Corps Commander, Cecilia Alao noted: “The Command recorded a fatal, multiple, road traffic crash on Monday, December 31, 2018 at 11:45p.m., at KM3 Gbagi, along Ibadan-Ife Highway.

“A total of Nineteen (19) people were involved in the crash consisting of 10 male adults, 8 female adults and 1 male child.

“As at the time of conclusion of rescue operations, nine victims were confirmed dead and their corpses deposited at the morgue of Oyo State Specialist Hospital, Adeoyo while 10 injured victims were conveyed to Toun Specialist Hospital, Iwo road area for medical attention.

According to her, apart from nine people who died immediately at the scene, additional three died yesterday morning out of the 10 injured victims.

Ondo orgy of death

On the Ondo deaths, it was gathered that seven persons were reportedly shot dead and many others injured as suspected armed robbers/ kidnappers invaded the notorious Uso/ Owo highway in Owo area of the state.

Two persons also died in an auto crash in Ajowa, Akoko area of the state.

Consequently, the state Police Commissioner, Gbenga Adeyanju, queried the Divisional Police Officers DPO of Uso and four other policemen in the area for negligence of duty.

The four Police officers, according to the state police spokesperson, Femi Joseph, have been suspended and would be tried. They were said to have abdicated the patrol of the area when the hoodlums struck.

Joseph, however, confirmed that only three persons were shot dead by the robbers denying that they were kidnappers.

He said the police have not made any arrest but that the command is on the trail of the robbers.

Meanwhile, sources said the suspects “were on a reprisal attack over the invasion of kidnappers’ den by security agencies last week in which five suspects were arrested including the arrest of a Boko Haram suspect wanted since 2016.

Vanguard was informed that the suspects, who were dressed in Police uniforms, invaded the Owo/Akure Road and shot sporadically into the air in a bid to force motorists to a halt.

Eyewitness account said two persons on a motorcycle were killed instantly by the bullets of the hoodlums while many others were severely injured.

Four persons were shot dead during the shooting, while other victims who suffered gunshot injuries, were said to have been rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo.

Two other persons allegedly died while they were being rushed to the Akure State General Hospital.

An eyewitness, who gave the name of the victim as Fatai Awosusi, said: “He was on his way to Ipeme to celebrate the New Year festival when he was killed by the armed robbers.”

Also, tragedy struck at Ajowa, in Akoko Northwest council area of the state as two persons died, while three others sustained various degrees of injury in a lone motor accident.

The crash according to eyewitness account involved a J5-bus heading to the northern part of the country and conveying kola nuts and palm oil.

Confirming the crash, the Commandant, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Ikare-Akoko unit, Jimoh Basiru, said that it occurred around 12a.m., close to the military checkpoint in the town.

Some soldiers on duty and officials of FRSC helped to rescue the accident victims and rushed them to the State Specialist Hospital, Ikare- Akoko.

The sector commander attributed the crash to recklessness and night journey.

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) State Specialist Hospital, Ikare Akoko, Dr Wale Oguntuase confirmed that two persons were brought in dead and that their corpses have been deposited at the mortuary.