It was
a pathetic sight at Okesa area of Ado Ekiti on Thursday, Valentine’s Day as two
undergraduates met their death when a sand truck crushed them after they had
fallen in a motorcycle accident in the area.
a pathetic sight at Okesa area of Ado Ekiti on Thursday, Valentine’s Day as two
undergraduates met their death when a sand truck crushed them after they had
fallen in a motorcycle accident in the area.
The tragedy, which occurred at about 4:00
p.m. on the day, involved Ebenezer Ayoade, a final year Marketing student of
the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti and Ajayi Kayode, a 200 level Psychology
student of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti.
p.m. on the day, involved Ebenezer Ayoade, a final year Marketing student of
the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti and Ajayi Kayode, a 200 level Psychology
student of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado Ekiti.
Sources said the victims, who were both
natives of Emure-Ekiti, headquarters of Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti
State, rode on the new motorcycle that had collided with another commercial
motorcycle near the Ado area command headquarters of the state police command.
natives of Emure-Ekiti, headquarters of Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti
State, rode on the new motorcycle that had collided with another commercial
motorcycle near the Ado area command headquarters of the state police command.
The sources added that while they were
helping themselves up from the road where they had fallen, an on-coming tipper
lorry, which was descending the Okesa junction slope, ran over them and
instantly killed one of them while the other died on the way to the hospital.
helping themselves up from the road where they had fallen, an on-coming tipper
lorry, which was descending the Okesa junction slope, ran over them and
instantly killed one of them while the other died on the way to the hospital.
The incident, which occurred just as civil
servants at the nearby Old Governor’s Office and other government offices were
closing from work, drew scores of sympathisers with some of them blaming the
accident on what they described as “excitement from the brand new motorcycle.”
They claimed that they had hit the Okesa – Old Governor’s Office road on a high
speed, and meandered through the traffic.
servants at the nearby Old Governor’s Office and other government offices were
closing from work, drew scores of sympathisers with some of them blaming the
accident on what they described as “excitement from the brand new motorcycle.”
They claimed that they had hit the Okesa – Old Governor’s Office road on a high
speed, and meandered through the traffic.
Sources added that the driver of the tipper
truck with registration number Abuja XN 367 ABJ, “did not even know that he had
crushed some motorcyclists because he was just going, oblivious of the accident
and the two dying persons.”
truck with registration number Abuja XN 367 ABJ, “did not even know that he had
crushed some motorcyclists because he was just going, oblivious of the accident
and the two dying persons.”
One of the sympathisers claimed that “when
policemen and others stopped the driver as he was ascending the hill towards
Oke Ori Omi, he was asking them why and wondered what the people wanted, until
they told him what had happened.”
policemen and others stopped the driver as he was ascending the hill towards
Oke Ori Omi, he was asking them why and wondered what the people wanted, until
they told him what had happened.”
The incident created panic and heavy
traffic on the busy road, which has always been suffering from parking problems
created by row of shops attached to the fence of the Police Area Command on one
side and a drinking parlour and shops on the other.
traffic on the busy road, which has always been suffering from parking problems
created by row of shops attached to the fence of the Police Area Command on one
side and a drinking parlour and shops on the other.
Broken parts of the still glittering
motorcycle were on the road just as some of the sympathisers at the scene wept
bitterly, temporarily punctuating the celebration of Valentine in that part of
the town.
motorcycle were on the road just as some of the sympathisers at the scene wept
bitterly, temporarily punctuating the celebration of Valentine in that part of
the town.
It was gathered that the driver of the
truck was taken away by the police to the Okesa Police Station but the Police
Public Relations Officer for the state command, Mr Victor Babayemi Olu, could
not be reached for an official reaction on the development.
truck was taken away by the police to the Okesa Police Station but the Police
Public Relations Officer for the state command, Mr Victor Babayemi Olu, could
not be reached for an official reaction on the development.
However, police sources told newsmen that
the lorry driver had been moved to the state Police Command headquarters for
further investigation into the matter.
the lorry driver had been moved to the state Police Command headquarters for
further investigation into the matter.
Already, posters announcing the obituary of
the student of the Continuing Education Centre of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado
Ekiti, were said to have been posted in the school, with some of the students
lamenting the tragedy.
the student of the Continuing Education Centre of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado
Ekiti, were said to have been posted in the school, with some of the students
lamenting the tragedy.
Source: Tribune
