LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Two persons have reportedly lost their lives, in a road accident involving a commercial bus in the Alakia area, New Ife Express Road in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
The accident, which occurred on 24 May, left four other persons with various degrees of injuries hospitalized.
Punch reports that, that the bus with number plate YYY485AA was en route from Ife to Ibadan when the driver rammed into a ditch that was dug across the road by the construction company currently working on the expressway.
The vehicle was said to be conveying a family to Ibadan in preparation for their child’s Islamic graduation (Walimot), which was to be held on Saturday.
According to reports, the vehicle with some blood stains, was removed from the ditch shortly after the accident, while food items and some utensils littered the road.
Some sympathizers as well as relatives of the victims were also seen crying and lamenting over the incident.
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An eyewitness, Mudashiru Ahmed, blamed the construction company for failure to put a diversion sign on the road.
He said: “I was passing this morning when I saw the accident, so I parked to assist them. The accident happened early this morning, between 4.30am and 6am. Two people died and others have been rushed to the hospital.
“Although, I don’t know the number of people rushed to the hospital because some people were here before I came. I was told four people have been taken to the hospital. But there was a boy that survived and was not taken to the hospital.”
Narrating how the incident happened, a teenage survivor, identified simply as Fawas said they were coming from Ife to Ibadan but on getting to the Alakia area, they suddenly rammed into the ditch.
“We were inside the bus but suddenly, I heard a loud noise and before we knew what was happening, we were being pulled out of the vehicle. No one knew what was happening; we didn’t see anything on the road. I just saw myself standing here. They have rushed Daddy and Mummy to the hospital,” he said.
Meanwhile, some angry mob at the scene beat up and pursued a man believed to be working on the site while he was recording a video of the scene.
When contacted, the Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) Unit Commander in Egbeda, Akeem Kareem, attributed the accident to speeding and negligence on the path of the driver.
“Three people who were injured had already been taken to the hospital when we got there but two people were found dead. They were removed from the erosion inside the ditch.”